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 | Austin | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $2,080/mo | 25.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $783,300 | 41.1% lower in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $98,657 | 12.3% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.7 | 104.1 | 5.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 94.8 | 125.1 | 24.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 100.5 | 104.6 | 3.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 104.1 | 9.0% 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 Austin, you'd need $134,283 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin, TX is about 25.5% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 26% lower in Austin than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $107,426 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.