City comparison
Salinas, CA vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Salinas, CA (109.0) and San Luis Obispo, CA (108.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Salinas, CA goes as far as $99,600 in San Luis Obispo, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $1,914 in San Luis Obispo, CA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 31% in San Luis Obispo, 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 −6.7% moving from Salinas, CA to San Luis Obispo, CA ($133,060 → $124,085), while prices change by −0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.4% in real buying power.
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Salinas, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.0 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,591 in San Luis Obispo | $100,411 in Salinas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,232/mo | $1,914/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 | 36% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,380 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Salinas, CA MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Salinas, CA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salinas | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 145.7 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 154.2 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 109.0 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salinas, CA → San Luis Obispo, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
61 Fair offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Salinas, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salinas, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Salinas, CA to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salinas, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Salinas → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $71,957 | −6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $87,061 | −6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $104,349 | −6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $124,085 | −6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $146,632 | −6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salinas, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Salinas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,220 | $97,620 | $98,021 (−2.2%) |
| Software Developers | $135,160 | $135,020 | $135,575 (+0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,810 | $88,160 | $88,522 (+5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $134,910 | $138,820 | $139,390 (+3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.