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 | Columbus | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,081/mo | $2,080/mo | 48.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $211,700 | $783,300 | 73.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $75,114 | $98,657 | 23.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.9 | 106.8 | 11.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 88.1 | 159.5 | 44.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.5 | 101.1 | 2.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.1 | 101.0 | 1.8% 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 Columbus, you'd need $156,360 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Columbus, IN is about 36% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 55% lower in Columbus than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Columbus, you'd need about $125,088 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.