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 | Bethesda | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,312/mo | $2,080/mo | 11.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,088,000 | $783,300 | 38.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $185,546 | $98,657 | 88.1% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 103.0 | 106.8 | 3.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 103.1 | 159.5 | 35.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 101.8 | 101.1 | 0.7% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.1 | 101.0 | 0.9% 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 Bethesda, you'd need $109,182 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Bethesda, MD is about 8.4% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 8% lower in Bethesda than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Bethesda, you'd need about $87,346 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.