Cost of Living: San Francisco, 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 San Francisco, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Diego, CA. In the model, rent is about 35.25% of gross in San Francisco, CA versus 32.4% in San Diego, CA, so San Diego, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between San Francisco, CA and San Diego, 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 Francisco, CA: 225.8 (U.S. = 100) · San Diego, CA: 142.3 (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 Francisco, CA: $2,298/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Diego, CA: $2,112/mo
Median rent in San Francisco, CA is $186/mo higher than in San Diego, CA.
Median Home Price
San Francisco, CA: $1,380,500 · San Diego, CA: $848,500
Median home price in San Francisco, CA is $532,000 higher than in San Diego, CA.
Median Household Income
San Francisco, CA: $141,446 · San Diego, CA: $104,321
San Francisco, CA has a higher median household income than San Diego, CA by $37,125.
San Francisco, CA overview · San Diego, CA overview · Popular comparisons