$90,000 in San Diego ≈ $78,740 in Richmond

$78,740

Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (111.9 → 97.9). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.

Prices in Richmond run −12.5% vs San Diego for equal purchasing power at this salary level.

San Diego RPP
111.9
Richmond RPP
97.9
Price gap
−12.5%
Base salary
$90,000

Prices in Richmond run −12.5% versus San Diego on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in San Diego maps to about $78,740 in Richmond for equal purchasing power.

Your salary

Needed in Richmond: $78,740

Live math: salary × (97.9 ÷ 111.9). Same formula as the static ladder below.

Salary needed in Richmond

In San DiegoIn Richmond
$60,000$52,493
$90,000$78,740
$150,000$131,233

Equivalent = origin salary × (97.9 ÷ 111.9). Adjust the base with the slider above.

Price level components

ComponentSan DiegoRichmondUS
All items111.997.9100
Goods108.096.8100
Housing (rents)179.399.1100
Other services99.698.6100

BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, US = 100. Housing is rents; utilities omitted in this view.

Wages in both metros

OccupationSan DiegoRichmondDest. middle halfDest. OEWS emp.Gap
Physicians, All Other$323,050$284,090$204,860 to $333,4501,760−12.1%
Chief Executives$238,440$326,160$188,360 to $401,930820+36.8%
Computer and Information Systems Managers$206,740$180,640$153,580 to $224,3201,900−12.6%
Architectural and Engineering Managers$202,810$167,170$140,830 to $200,830570−17.6%
Marketing Managers$174,840$174,130$132,730 to $214,9301,090−0.4%
Financial Managers$174,210$173,140$136,020 to $218,6503,480−0.6%
Lawyers$178,220$144,910$100,490 to $215,6803,780−18.7%
Human Resources Managers$163,190$152,190$116,260 to $200,640960−6.7%

BLS OEWS May 2025 metro medians where published for both CBSAs. Employment is OEWS published employment, not job openings.

FAQ

What salary do I need in Richmond to match $90,000 in San Diego?
About $78,740, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 111.9 and 97.9. Formula: salary × (RPP_destination / RPP_origin). Not financial advice.
What do goods, housing, and other RPP components mean?
BEA publishes component indexes alongside all-items RPP. Goods covers merchandise prices; housing (rents) covers rents; other services covers remaining services. All are indexed to US = 100 for the same vintage year.
How do OEWS wages relate to this comparison?
BLS OEWS (May 2025) publishes occupation medians by metro. The wage bridge shows jobs with published medians in both metros, plus middle-half bands and OEWS employment where available. RPP adjusts purchasing power; OEWS reports pay.
Does this include taxes or benefits?
No. PayByCity does not model income taxes, childcare, healthcare premiums, or leave. Use the figures as a price-level starting point, not a take-home or total-rewards calculator.

What this covers

Includes

  • BEA Regional Price Parities (all items, goods, housing rents, other services)
  • BLS OEWS median wages, percentile bands, and employment where published
  • Purchasing-power math: salary × (destination RPP ÷ origin RPP)

Does not include

  • Federal, state, or local income taxes
  • Childcare, healthcare premiums, or leave benefits
  • Job openings. OEWS employment is a published stock estimate, not hiring demand

See methodology and disclaimer.