Cost of Living in San Diego, California
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in San Diego, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 1,406,106
- Median household income
- $111,032
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 111.9
- Unemployment rate
- 5.8%
Is San Diego a good place to live?
San Diego is hard on a single typical paycheck: after taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, a typical worker living alone comes up $5,264 a year short. It works better for higher earners and for people who share housing.
Your own pay and housing may differ. Try your job
- Cost of living12% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$2,597 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$1,571 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in San Diego
Prices in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA area run 12% above the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 79% above the US average.
- Housing79% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)8% above the US average
- Utilities74% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)About the same as the US average
- All items12% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $2,597 | $31,164 |
| Food | $533 | $6,396 |
| Transportation | $421 | $5,052 |
| Healthcare | $351 | $4,212 |
| Utilities | $454 | $5,448 |
| Total before taxes | $4,356 | $52,272 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | San Diego | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,437 | $2,192 |
| 1 bedroom | $2,597 | $2,335 |
| 2 bedrooms | $3,139 | $2,823 |
| 3 bedrooms | $4,162 | $3,743 |
| 4 bedrooms | $5,033 | $4,526 |
Living in San Diego
How San Diego compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | San Diego | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $111,032 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $980,700 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $2,414 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 53.5% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 10.4% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 53.6% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 36.6 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 24 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 18% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 2.6% | 3.7% |
Home internet
6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of San Diego, led by T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Spectrum. Fiber reaches 40.2% of homes and 68.2% can get gigabit speeds. Compare providers in San Diego
Pros and cons of living in San Diego
Pros
- Higher incomes. Median household income is $111,032, against $81,604 nationally.
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 24 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Highly educated workforce. 53.6% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 36.9% nationally.
Cons
- Paychecks don't stretch far. A typical worker living alone comes up $5,264 short each year after taxes, rent and everyday costs.
- Expensive rent. Median rent is $2,414 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
- Pricey homes to buy. The median home is worth $980,700, against $360,600 nationally.
- Higher cost of living. Prices are 12% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
What your job keeps in San Diego
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $58,690
- Federal income tax
- −$4,863
- Payroll taxes
- −$5,253
- State income tax
- −$1,571
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$31,164
- Everyday costs
- −$21,103
a year ($439 a month) for one earner renting a 1-bedroom alone
Pay: BLS OEWS San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
A single earner renting a 1-bedroom alone. Sharing housing, or a second income, changes this a lot.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | $163,270 | $57,516 |
| Registered nurse | $139,520 | $43,801 |
| Project manager | $117,460 | $30,975 |
| Teacher | $96,805 | $18,634 |
| Accountant | $96,340 | $18,356 |
| Electrician | $76,160 | $6,271 |
| Carpenter | $73,200 | $4,464 |
| Truck driver | $59,780 | −$4,467 |
| Medical assistant | $49,420 | −$12,035 |
| Nursing assistant | $48,070 | −$13,021 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in San Diego on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic −$1,175
- Civil engineer $25,860
- Data scientist $38,875
- Dental assistant −$5,680
- Dental hygienist $34,717
- Dentist $54,567
- Diesel mechanic $5,606
- Financial analyst $24,151
- Firefighter $3,059
- HVAC technician $5,489
- Lawyer $66,150
- Licensed practical nurse $8,426
- Lineman $33,013
- Mechanical engineer $33,538
- Nurse practitioner $57,859
- Occupational therapist $33,496
- Paralegal $6,356
- Paramedic $2,895
- Pharmacist $58,591
- Pharmacy technician −$8,324
- Physical therapist $28,818
- Physician assistant $58,609
- Plumber $4,042
- Police officer $26,756
- Radiologic technologist $28,597
- Respiratory therapist $23,554
- Social worker $1,040
- Speech-language pathologist $32,307
- Veterinarian $55,484
- Welder −$2,436
Compare San Diego with other cities
Compare San Diego with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to San Diego
25 licensed interstate movers are based in San Diego, and 10 more elsewhere in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is San Diego, CA a good place to live?
San Diego is hard on a single typical paycheck: after taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, a typical worker living alone comes up $5,264 a year short. It works better for higher earners and for people who share housing. The typical worker here earns $58,690 and would be $5,264 short a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, renting alone.
What is the cost of living in San Diego?
Prices in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA area are 12% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $2,597 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,759 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in San Diego?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $66,000 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA area earns $58,690.
What is the average rent in San Diego?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $2,437 for a studio, $2,597 for a 1-bedroom and $3,139 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in San Diego at $2,414 a month (2024).
Does San Diego have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $58,690, California state income tax comes to about $1,571 a year. San Diego has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve San Diego?
6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of San Diego, led by T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Spectrum. 40.2% of homes can get fiber and 68.2% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate