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 | Arlington | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,902/mo | $2,080/mo | 8.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $839,200 | $783,300 | 7.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $136,312 | $98,657 | 38.2% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 100.0 | 106.8 | 6.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 133.9 | 159.5 | 16.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 101.3 | 101.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 103.9 | 101.0 | 3.0% higher 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 Arlington, you'd need $111,235 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Arlington, MA is about 10.1% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 15% lower in Arlington than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $88,988 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.