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San Diego, CA Cost of Living Calculator
Prices in the San Diego, CA area are 11.9% above the US average, and housing 79.3% above (BEA, 2024). Compare a salary here with anywhere else.
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San Diego, CA price levels by category (US average = 100)
| Category | Price level | Against the US |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 111.9 | 11.9% above |
| Housing | 179.3 | 79.3% above |
| Goods | 108.0 | 8.0% above |
| Utilities | 174.2 | 74.2% above |
| Other services | 99.6 | about the same as |
What $75,000 in San Diego, CA equals in other large metros
| Metro area | Equivalent salary | Prices |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $75,469 | 0.6% |
| Los Angeles, CA | $76,139 | 1.5% |
| Chicago, IL | $69,437 | −7.4% |
| Dallas, TX | $69,102 | −7.9% |
| Houston, TX | $66,086 | −11.9% |
| Washington, DC | $72,989 | −2.7% |
| Philadelphia, PA | $68,767 | −8.3% |
| Atlanta, GA | $67,091 | −10.5% |
| Miami, FL | $76,542 | 2.1% |
| Phoenix, AZ | $69,236 | −7.7% |
How this calculator works
BEA regional price parities for the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area, 2024: the price of the same basket of goods and services against the US average (100). Equivalent salaries scale by the ratio of the two areas' price levels.
Questions people ask
Is San Diego expensive to live in?
Overall prices are 11.9% above the US average; housing is 79.3% above.
What salary do I need in San Diego, CA?
To match $75,000 in an average-cost place, about $83,925. The area's median household income is $106,268.
How much is rent in San Diego, CA?
The median gross rent (including utilities) is $2,246 a month (Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
How does San Diego, CA compare with New York?
New York prices are 0.6% relative to San Diego, CA: $75,000 here equals $75,469 there.
Nearby and large metro areas
- Los Angeles, CA
- Riverside, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Sacramento, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Fresno, CA
- Bakersfield, CA
- Oxnard, CA
- Stockton, CA
- Modesto, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Visalia, CA
- Vallejo, CA
- Santa Maria, CA
- Salinas, CA
- Merced, CA
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- Santa Cruz, CA
- New York, NY
- Chicago, IL
- Dallas, TX
- Houston, TX
- Washington, DC
- Philadelphia, PA
Related calculators
Sources
- BEA: Regional price parities by metro area, 2024
- US Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates (median rent B25064, income B19013)
Updated by the RateHerald team. The maths is tested against worked examples; report a problem.