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 | Bellingham | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,385/mo | $2,080/mo | 33.4% lower in A |
| Median home value | $528,600 | $783,300 | 32.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $64,026 | $98,657 | 35.1% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.7 | 106.8 | 1.9% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 107.4 | 159.5 | 32.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 101.0 | 101.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 100.9 | 101.0 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Bellingham, you'd need $129,634 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Bellingham, WA is about 22.9% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 36% lower in Bellingham than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Bellingham, you'd need about $103,707 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.