Cost of living in San Diego: rent, homes and salary
With the US at 100, the 2024 regional price parity (RPP) from BEA for the San Diego, CA metro area is 111.9, and housing alone is 179.3. Measured against the US average, cost of living in San Diego runs 11.9% higher.
- Level of prices
- 111.9US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- 179.3 for rents, US = 100.
Cost of living index for San Diego
The US average is set at 100, and a regional price parity compares one place against it using an identical basket of goods and services. San Diego is part of a metro area named San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, which BEA prices as a single area. Housing (rents) is the item that sits furthest from the US average, with a level of 179.3, or 79.3% above the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | San Diego, CA metro | California | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 111.9 | 110.7 | +11.9% |
| Goods | 108.0 | 106.1 | +8.0% |
| Housing (rents) | 179.3 | 154.3 | +79.3% |
| Utilities | 174.2 | 158.9 | +74.2% |
| Other services | 99.6 | 102.6 | −0.4% |
Regional price parities for metro areas and states, 2024, from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. BEA regional price parities
Rent costs in San Diego
The Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) covers asking rent for homes listed now, and it puts San Diego's typical asking rent at $3,004 a month, +2.2% on a year. In the US, the figure is $1,932. Census reports median gross rent of $2,414, a figure that includes every renting household rather than new leases only. A year of asking rent equals 32% of the median household income.
| Rent | San Diego | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $3,004 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +2.2% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $2,414 | $1,487 |
| Asking rent over a year, as a portion of median income | 32% | 28% |
Zillow Observed Rent Index; one-year estimates from the Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024.
San Diego home prices
September 2026: the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) put the value of a typical San Diego home at $980,490. The index covers homes in the middle of the market. That figure is +0.1% on a year, compared with $366,157 for the US. Measured in years of the median household income, the price is 8.8, against 4.5 for the US.
| Home prices | San Diego | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $980,490 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | +0.1% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +79.9% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 8.8 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 27.2 | 15.8 |
Days on market, the forecast, and a price chart since 2000: San Diego housing market.
The salary you need to live in San Diego
Two questions set the salary you need in San Diego to buy what your pay buys now: what you earn, and the place you live.
- Moving from:
- Salary
Side by side, every city and the method used: city cost of living comparison.
Moving to San Diego? Compare moving quotes on Moving.com, a mover-quote service; we are not paid for this link.
San Diego cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Level of prices | Housing | Typical rent figure | Value of a typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | 111.9 | 179.3 | $3,004 | $980,490 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
| San Jose | 110.4 | 211.9 | $3,582 | $1,353,869 |
| San Francisco | 115.6 | 194.7 | $4,784 | $1,441,021 |
| Fresno | 102.2 | 95.7 | $1,945 | $384,885 |
| Sacramento | 106.7 | 130.2 | $2,045 | $470,552 |
| Long Beach | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,412 | $852,391 |
| Oakland | 115.6 | 194.7 | $2,758 | $710,647 |
| Bakersfield | 100.9 | 90.3 | $1,901 | $385,686 |
Price levels come from BEA regional price parities (2024), with US = 100. Rent figure: Zillow ZORI. Home value figure: Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
Every city ranked: city-by-city cost of living comparison. Every state listed: cost of living by state