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 | Asheville | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $2,080/mo | 39.9% lower in A |
| Median home value | $376,800 | $783,300 | 51.9% lower in A |
| Median household income | $63,810 | $98,657 | 35.3% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 100.7 | 110.2 | 8.7% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 98.0 | 135.0 | 27.4% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 85.7 | 117.2 | 26.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.9 | 121.0 | 16.6% 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 Asheville, you'd need $143,126 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Asheville, NC is about 30.1% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 40% lower in Asheville than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Asheville, you'd need about $114,501 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.