City comparison
San Luis Obispo, CA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 23.8% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $123,800 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.4% moving from San Luis Obispo, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($124,085 → $107,510), while prices change by −19.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.3% in real buying power.
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (much pricier)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.6 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $80,778 in Tuscaloosa | $123,796 in San Luis Obispo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,914/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 31% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,770 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Luis Obispo | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 144.4 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 147.8 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 108.6 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Luis Obispo, CA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +23.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.2%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
29 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Luis Obispo, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from San Luis Obispo, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Luis Obispo, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, San Luis Obispo → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,344 | +7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,431 | +7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,410 | +7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $107,510 | +7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $127,044 | +7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Luis Obispo, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in San Luis Obispo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $97,620 | $60,220 | $74,550 (−23.6%) |
| Software Developers | $135,020 | $104,870 | $129,824 (−3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,160 | $71,690 | $88,749 (+0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $138,820 | $75,250 | $93,156 (−32.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.