City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Ann Arbor | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,472/mo | $2,080/mo | 29.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $416,500 | $783,300 | 46.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $78,546 | $98,657 | 20.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 106.8 | 11.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 96.3 | 159.5 | 39.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.8 | 101.1 | 2.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.4 | 101.0 | 1.5% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Ann Arbor, you'd need $128,217 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Ann Arbor, MI is about 22% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 30% lower in Ann Arbor than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Ann Arbor, you'd need about $102,573 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.