San Diego vs Seattle - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

San Diego Seattle
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3427
$2974
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$7903
$7082
🏠 One person rent
$2366
$1895
🏘️ Family rent
$4375
$3327
🍽️ Food expenses
$686
$708
🚐 Transport expenses
$192
$169
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5439
$6506
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
3 km
9 km
🎓 Higher education
87
80
😀 Quality of life
91
90
🏙️ Population
1.39M
737K

The cost of living in San Diego is 15% more expensive than in Seattle. Cities ranked 26th and 145th ($3427 vs $2974) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 23rd and 120th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.6 months in San Diego compared to 2.2 months in Seattle. Ranked 15th vs 19th best cities to live in the United States, and 107th vs 125th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in San Diego vs Seattle infographic

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Prices in San Diego vs Seattle

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

San Diego Seattle
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$20.9
$18.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$85.6
$85
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12.1
$12.1
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.8
$8.28
 Cappuccino
$5.63
$5.9
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.87
$3.25
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2498
$2036
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2064
$1598
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4740
$3765
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3919
$2858
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$142
$144
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$218
$222
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$73.6
$65.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.64%
6.59%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$11408
$9273
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$8035
$5449
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.57
$2.73
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$71.4
$96.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$22.2
$20.5
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.35
$1.3
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.14
$1.14
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.69
$3.63
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.92
$4.63
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.13
$4.6
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.8
$16
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.4
$15.2
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.3
$20.1
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.46
$4.98
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.84
$2.12
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.2
$4.79
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.58
$5.73
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.9
$2.91
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.18
$3.35
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.54
$1.43
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.64
$3.1
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.7
$16
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.13
$3.05
🚬 Cigarette pack
$10.5
$11.9
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$16.1
$10.4
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.94
$6.02
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.91
$6.93
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.16
$2.54
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$79.3
$62.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$17.2
$15
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$129
$177
💇 Haircut, simple
$22.2
$24.1
👖 Brand Jeans
$61.8
$62.5
👟 Brand Sneakers
$95.2
$95.4
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1701
$1999
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$18429
$29730

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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
$3051
7.2 km or 4.5 mi National
$2907
13 km or 7.8 mi Lemon Grove
$2844
14 km or 9 mi Chula Vista
$2969
14 km or 9 mi La Mesa
$2868
16 km or 9.8 mi Imperial Beach
$2851
18 km or 11 mi La Jolla
$2867
21 km or 13 mi El Cajon
$2910
24 km or 15 mi Tijuana
$1184
25 km or 15 mi Santee
$2788
30 km or 19 mi Poway
$2784
38 km or 24 mi Encinitas
$2879
40 km or 25 mi Las Delicias
$1032
43 km or 26 mi Rosarito Beach
$1029
46 km or 29 mi Escondido
$2884
47 km or 30 mi San Marcos
$2722
52 km or 33 mi Carlsbad
$3046
54 km or 33 mi Vista
$2732
57 km or 36 mi Oceanside
$3094
73 km or 46 mi Fallbrook
$2709
88 km or 55 mi Temecula
$2597
91 km or 57 mi San Clemente
$3070
95 km or 59 mi Murrieta
$3155
97 km or 61 mi Dana Point
$2751
98 km or 61 mi French Valley
$2684
99 km or 61 mi San Juan Capistrano
$2681
99 km or 61 mi Wildomar
$2803
104 km or 65 mi Laguna Niguel
$2461
107 km or 66 mi Laguna Beach
$2755
107 km or 67 mi Menifee
$2637
109 km or 68 mi Ensenada
$1027
109 km or 68 mi Lake Elsinore
$2730
110 km or 68 mi Mission Viejo
$3513
110 km or 69 mi Laguna Hills
$2957
111 km or 69 mi Rancho Santa Margarita
$2960
114 km or 71 mi Aliso Viejo
$3180
114 km or 71 mi Lake Forest
$2944
115 km or 72 mi Hemet
$2879
119 km or 74 mi Perris
$2609
119 km or 74 mi Temescal Valley
$2606

Cities near Seattle

Distance City Cost of living
9.1 km or 5.7 mi Mercer Island
$2814
11 km or 6.5 mi Bellevue
$3345
14 km or 8.5 mi Kirkland
$2920
15 km or 9.2 mi Tukwila
$2514
15 km or 9.5 mi Burien
$2507
16 km or 10 mi Bainbridge Island
$2810
17 km or 10 mi Shoreline
$3118
17 km or 10 mi Renton
$2157
17 km or 11 mi Redmond
$3262
17 km or 11 mi Kenmore
$2728
19 km or 12 mi SeaTac
$2463
21 km or 13 mi Bothell
$2729
22 km or 14 mi Sammamish
$2758
22 km or 14 mi Edmonds
$2837
23 km or 14 mi Issaquah
$2651
24 km or 15 mi Des Moines
$2549
24 km or 15 mi Lynnwood
$2750
24 km or 15 mi Bremerton
$2313
26 km or 16 mi Kent
$2827
30 km or 19 mi Mill Creek
$2663
33 km or 20 mi Federal Way
$2587
34 km or 21 mi Maple Valley
$2585
35 km or 21 mi Mukilteo
$2627
35 km or 22 mi Auburn
$2597
41 km or 25 mi Everett
$2604
42 km or 26 mi Tacoma
$2830
46 km or 28 mi University Place
$2652
48 km or 30 mi Puyallup
$2733
50 km or 31 mi Lake Stevens
$2593
51 km or 32 mi Lakewood
$2461
52 km or 33 mi Marysville
$2585
57 km or 35 mi Spanaway
$2402
74 km or 46 mi Lacey
$2546
76 km or 47 mi Olympia
$2500
78 km or 48 mi Sequim
$2576
80 km or 50 mi Oak Harbor
$2588
90 km or 56 mi Mount Vernon
$2255
100 km or 62 mi Port Angeles
$2451
109 km or 68 mi Centralia
$2470
119 km or 74 mi Victoria
$2210