Los Angeles vs San Diego
Los Angeles, CA · San Diego, CA
San Diego is 6% cheaper than Los Angeles overall.
Home Price
Los: $860,000
San: $875,000
Monthly Rent
Los: $2,050/mo
San: $2,195/mo
COL Index
Los: 173
San: 163
Median Income
Los: $76,000
San: $91,000
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in Los Angeles has the same purchasing power as $94,220 in San Diego — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in San Diego are 2% cheaper (-$15,000 less). That's a significant down payment and monthly payment difference.
Renting
Renting in Los Angeles saves you $145/month — $1,740 per year. Median rent: $2,050/mo in Los Angeles vs $2,195/mo in San Diego.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, Los Angeles owners pay roughly $6,278/year in property taxes vs $6,300/year in San Diego. Rates are comparable.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $76,000 in Los Angeles and $91,000 in San Diego. Los Angeles residents earn 20% more — but remember to factor in cost of living.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 32 minutes in Los Angeles vs 27 minutes in San Diego. Over a year, that's 2500 extra minutes (42 hours) of commuting in Los Angeles.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Los Angeles to San Diego, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in Los Angeles | Equivalent in San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $47,110 | -$2,890 |
| $75,000 | $70,665 | -$4,335 |
| $100,000 | $94,220 | -$5,780 |
| $150,000 | $141,329 | -$8,671 |
| $200,000 | $188,439 | -$11,561 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
Mortgage Calculator
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Rent vs Buy
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Cost of Living
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Property Tax Calculator
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Los Angeles Calculators
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Related Comparisons
Los Angeles vs San Diego: Common Questions
Is Los Angeles or San Diego cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, San Diego is cheaper overall. Los Angeles has a COL index of 173 while San Diego scores 163 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between Los Angeles and San Diego?
The median home price in Los Angeles is $860,000 vs $875,000 in San Diego — a difference of $15,000 (2%).
What salary do I need in San Diego to match my Los Angeles income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Los Angeles is equivalent to $94,220 in San Diego in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
San Diego has a lower property tax rate (0.72% vs 0.73%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $6,278/year vs $6,300/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.