Salary comparison
Cooks, Restaurant: Portland vs San Diego
San Diego, CA pays about 2.7% more for cooks, restaurant on paper — $46,440 vs $45,200. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, San Diego comes out ahead by $1,240 a year in real buying power.
Portland, OR
$45,200
$38,850
$51,010
$21.73
100
$45,200/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
San Diego, CA
$46,440
$40,330
$47,560
$22.33
100
$46,440/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $1,240 a year (2.7%) in favor of San Diego. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Portland runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; San Diego sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, San Diego is the better deal by $1,240 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Portland to San Diego for this role, the raise needs to beat 2.7% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do cooks, restaurant earn more, Portland or San Diego?
San Diego pays $46,440 on median — about 2.7% more than Portland ($45,200). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
San Diego. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, San Diego gives you roughly$46,440 of real buying power versus $45,200 in the other city.