San Francisco vs San Diego
San Francisco, CA · San Diego, CA
San Diego is 24% cheaper than San Francisco overall.
Home Price
San: $1,350,000
San: $875,000
Monthly Rent
San: $3,498/mo
San: $2,195/mo
COL Index
San: 214
San: 163
Median Income
San: $131,000
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 San Francisco has the same purchasing power as $76,168 in San Diego — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in San Diego cost 35% more (-$475,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.
Renting
Renting in San Diego saves you $1,303/month — $15,636 per year. Median rent: $3,498/mo in San Francisco vs $2,195/mo in San Diego.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, San Francisco owners pay roughly $8,505/year in property taxes vs $6,300/year in San Diego. That's a $2,205 annual difference.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $131,000 in San Francisco and $91,000 in San Diego. San Diego residents earn 31% more — but remember to factor in cost of living.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 34 minutes in San Francisco vs 27 minutes in San Diego. Over a year, that's 3500 extra minutes (58 hours) of commuting in San Francisco.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from San Francisco to San Diego, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in San Francisco | Equivalent in San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $38,084 | -$11,916 |
| $75,000 | $57,126 | -$17,874 |
| $100,000 | $76,168 | -$23,832 |
| $150,000 | $114,252 | -$35,748 |
| $200,000 | $152,336 | -$47,664 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
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Cost of Living
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Property Tax Calculator
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Related Comparisons
San Francisco vs San Diego: Common Questions
Is San Francisco or San Diego cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, San Diego is cheaper overall. San Francisco has a COL index of 214 while San Diego scores 163 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between San Francisco and San Diego?
The median home price in San Francisco is $1,350,000 vs $875,000 in San Diego — a difference of $475,000 (35%).
What salary do I need in San Diego to match my San Francisco income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in San Francisco is equivalent to $76,168 in San Diego in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
San Francisco has a lower property tax rate (0.63% vs 0.72%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $6,300/year vs $8,505/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.