Cost of Living: Cupertino, CA vs San Diego, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Cupertino, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Diego, CA. In the model, rent is about 51.02% of gross in Cupertino, CA versus 32.4% in San Diego, CA, so San Diego, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Cupertino, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in San Diego, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Cupertino, CA
51.02%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in San Diego, CA
32.4%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Cupertino, CA and San Diego, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Cupertino, CA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): San Diego, CA
  • Lower home prices: San Diego, CA
  • Higher median household income: Cupertino, CA

Cost of Living Index

Cupertino, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · San Diego, CA: 142.3 (U.S. = 100)

Cupertino, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than San Diego, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Cupertino, CA: $3,326/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Diego, CA: $2,112/mo

Median rent in Cupertino, CA is $1,214/mo higher than in San Diego, CA.

Median Home Price

Cupertino, CA: $2,000,001 · San Diego, CA: $848,500

Median home price in Cupertino, CA is $1,151,501 higher than in San Diego, CA.

Median Household Income

Cupertino, CA: $231,139 · San Diego, CA: $104,321

Cupertino, CA has a higher median household income than San Diego, CA by $126,818.

Cupertino, CA overview · San Diego, CA overview · Popular comparisons