City comparison
Brentwood, CA is about 450 miles (700 km) from San Diego, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 550 miles, or about 9 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Brentwood, CA to San Diego, CA takes about 53 min, covering roughly 450 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
San Diego has a population of 1,383,987, vs 64,443 in Brentwood — about 21.5× larger by population. By land area, San Diego covers about 325 sq mi vs 15 sq mi for Brentwood.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Brentwood | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,451/mo | $2,080/mo | 17.8% higher in Brentwood |
| Median home value | $735,500 | $783,300 | 6.5% higher in San Diego |
| Median household income | $134,689 | $98,657 | 36.5% higher in Brentwood |
| Groceries index | 107.4 | 107.6 | ≈ equal (San Diego slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 165.3 | 169.8 | 2.7% higher in San Diego |
| Transportation index | 104.8 | 100.0 | 4.8% higher in Brentwood |
| Healthcare index | 104.8 | 100.0 | 4.8% higher in Brentwood |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Brentwood, you'd need $99,209 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Diego, CA is about 0.8% cheaper overall than Brentwood, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Brentwood, you'd need about $79,367 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.