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 | Downey | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,814/mo | $2,080/mo | 12.8% lower in A |
| Median home value | $679,000 | $783,300 | 13.3% lower in A |
| Median household income | $84,236 | $98,657 | 14.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 107.7 | 110.2 | 2.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 130.9 | 135.0 | 3.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 112.0 | 117.2 | 4.4% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 114.0 | 121.0 | 5.7% 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 Downey, you'd need $109,095 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Downey, CA is about 8.3% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 13% lower in Downey than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Downey, you'd need about $87,276 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.