Cost of Living: San Diego, CA vs San Francisco, CA
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in San Diego, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Francisco, CA. In the model, rent is about 32.4% of gross in San Diego, CA versus 35.25% in San Francisco, CA, so San Diego, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between San Diego, CA and San Francisco, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): San Diego, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): San Diego, CA
- Lower home prices: San Diego, CA
- Higher median household income: San Francisco, CA
Cost of Living Index
San Diego, CA: 142.3 (U.S. = 100) · San Francisco, CA: 225.8 (U.S. = 100)
San Diego, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than San Francisco, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
San Diego, CA: $2,112/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Francisco, CA: $2,298/mo
Median rent in San Francisco, CA is $186/mo higher than in San Diego, CA.
Median Home Price
San Diego, CA: $848,500 · San Francisco, CA: $1,380,500
Median home price in San Francisco, CA is $532,000 higher than in San Diego, CA.
Median Household Income
San Diego, CA: $104,321 · San Francisco, CA: $141,446
San Francisco, CA has a higher median household income than San Diego, CA by $37,125.
San Diego, CA overview · San Francisco, CA overview · Popular comparisons