City comparison
Sacramento, CA vs San Diego, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 4.9% higher than in Sacramento, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Sacramento, CA would need about $104,900 in San Diego, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,459 a month in San Diego, CA versus $1,832 in Sacramento, CA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 30% in Sacramento, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.1% moving from Sacramento, CA to San Diego, CA ($117,984 → $121,585), while prices change by +4.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Sacramento, CA | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.7 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,891 in San Diego | $95,337 in Sacramento |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,832/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 30% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,750 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sacramento | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 130.2 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 151.3 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 106.7 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sacramento, CA → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
32 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Sacramento, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Sacramento, CA is in the Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Sacramento, CA to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sacramento, CA | San Diego, CA | Real change, Sacramento → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,419 | $70,507 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,780 | $85,307 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,218 | $102,246 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,984 | $121,585 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $139,422 | $143,677 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sacramento, CA | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Sacramento dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $103,390 | $97,000 | $92,477 (−10.6%) |
| Software Developers | $139,640 | $163,270 | $155,657 (+11.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,110 | $96,340 | $91,848 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $171,460 | $139,520 | $133,015 (−22.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.