San Diego vs San Francisco - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

San Diego San Francisco
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3486
$4110
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$7909
$8814
🏠 One person rent
$2368
$2859
🏘️ Family rent
$4139
$4660
🍽️ Food expenses
$735
$850
🚐 Transport expenses
$181
$179
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5217
$7874
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
3 km
18 km
🎓 Higher education
86
97
😀 Quality of life
91
95
🏙️ Population
1.39M
874K

The cost of living in San Diego is 15% less expensive than in San Francisco. Cities ranked 52nd and 7th ($3486 vs $4110) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 39th and 4th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.5 months in San Diego compared to 1.9 months in San Francisco. Ranked 38th vs 4th best cities to live in the United States, and 155th vs 22nd among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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Prices in San Diego vs San Francisco

Prices for goods and services in San Diego and San Francisco are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

San Diego San Francisco
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$22.2
$22.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$84.5
$109
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$15
$15.2
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.97
$8.33
☕ Cappuccino
$6.34
$6.31
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.17
$3.33
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2489
$3199
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2046
$2521
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4508
$4951
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3643
$4247
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$162
$132
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$251
$202
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$71.3
$69.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.31%
6.23%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$8050
$10798
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6577
$9079
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.5
$2.98
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$71.5
$97.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$19.7
$19.5
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.37
$1.42
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.38
$1.66
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$4.32
$5.16
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.81
$5.66
🥚 Eggs, x12
$7.04
$7.3
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$16
$20.9
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.1
$15.9
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$20.7
$24.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.24
$6.55
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.77
$3.01
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.14
$5.69
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.77
$5.93
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.64
$3.51
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.63
$3.19
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.5
$1.98
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.26
$3.52
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.6
$18
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3
$3.33
🚬 Cigarette pack
$12.2
$12.6
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$15.2
$14
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$9.97
$8.02
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$5.48
$6.96
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.47
$2.93
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$72.2
$118
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$19.1
$18.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$131
$149
💇 Haircut, simple
$30.2
$31.3
👖 Brand Jeans
$66.2
$74.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$112
$110
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1937
$2190
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$22295
$21216

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near San Diego

Distance City Cost of living
4.2 km or 2.6 mi Coronado
$3269
7.2 km or 4.5 mi National
$3094
13 km or 7.8 mi Lemon Grove
$3023
14 km or 9 mi Chula Vista
$3033
14 km or 9 mi La Mesa
$2997
16 km or 9.8 mi Imperial Beach
$2984
18 km or 11 mi La Jolla
$3065
21 km or 13 mi El Cajon
$3077
24 km or 15 mi Tijuana
$1276
25 km or 15 mi Santee
$2956
30 km or 19 mi Poway
$3012
38 km or 24 mi Encinitas
$3265
40 km or 25 mi Las Delicias
$1126
43 km or 26 mi Rosarito Beach
$1108
46 km or 29 mi Escondido
$3274
47 km or 30 mi San Marcos
$3008
52 km or 33 mi Carlsbad
$3269
54 km or 33 mi Vista
$3011
57 km or 36 mi Oceanside
$3221
73 km or 46 mi Fallbrook
$2984
88 km or 55 mi Temecula
$2690
91 km or 57 mi San Clemente
$2994
95 km or 59 mi Murrieta
$3137
97 km or 61 mi Dana Point
$3051
98 km or 61 mi French Valley
$2799
99 km or 61 mi San Juan Capistrano
$3075
99 km or 61 mi Wildomar
$2850
104 km or 65 mi Laguna Niguel
$3492
107 km or 66 mi Laguna Beach
$3129
107 km or 67 mi Menifee
$2646
109 km or 68 mi Ensenada
$967
109 km or 68 mi Lake Elsinore
$2663
110 km or 68 mi Mission Viejo
$3520
110 km or 69 mi Laguna Hills
$3064
111 km or 69 mi Rancho Santa Margarita
$2984
114 km or 71 mi Aliso Viejo
$3503
114 km or 71 mi Lake Forest
$2598
115 km or 72 mi Hemet
$2768
119 km or 74 mi Perris
$2738
119 km or 74 mi Temescal Valley
$2826

Cities near San Francisco

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.9 mi Daly
$3264
14 km or 8.4 mi South San Francisco
$3252
14 km or 8.8 mi Alameda
$3559
15 km or 9.2 mi Oakland
$3273
16 km or 10 mi Albany
$3049
17 km or 10 mi Berkeley
$3204
17 km or 11 mi San Bruno
$3261
18 km or 11 mi El Cerrito
$3070
18 km or 11 mi Pacifica
$3245
19 km or 12 mi Richmond
$3102
20 km or 12 mi Millbrae
$3276
21 km or 13 mi San Pablo
$3086
22 km or 14 mi Burlingame
$3310
24 km or 15 mi San Leandro
$3043
24 km or 15 mi San Rafael
$4178
26 km or 16 mi San Mateo
$3797
28 km or 17 mi San Lorenzo
$2822
28 km or 18 mi Foster
$3588
29 km or 18 mi Lafayette
$2906
29 km or 18 mi Hercules
$2893
31 km or 19 mi Belmont
$3577
32 km or 20 mi Hayward
$2822
32 km or 20 mi Castro Valley
$2968
34 km or 21 mi San Carlos
$3357
34 km or 21 mi Walnut Creek
$2900
36 km or 23 mi Redwood
$3728
37 km or 23 mi Martinez
$2905
37 km or 23 mi Danville
$3873
37 km or 23 mi Pleasant Hill
$2796
38 km or 24 mi Union
$3075
39 km or 24 mi San Ramon
$2848
39 km or 24 mi Vallejo
$2393
39 km or 24 mi Novato
$3181
39 km or 24 mi Benicia
$2804
41 km or 25 mi Concord
$2748
42 km or 26 mi Menlo Park
$3357
42 km or 26 mi East Palo Alto
$3356
43 km or 27 mi Newark
$3234
45 km or 28 mi Dublin
$3088
46 km or 28 mi Palo Alto
$3808