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 | Dubuque | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $915/mo | $2,080/mo | 56.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $178,000 | $783,300 | 77.3% lower in A |
| Median household income | $63,520 | $98,657 | 35.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 106.8 | 11.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 84.4 | 159.5 | 47.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 94.1 | 101.1 | 6.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 101.0 | 6.1% 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 Dubuque, you'd need $169,454 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Dubuque, IA is about 41% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 62% lower in Dubuque than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Dubuque, you'd need about $135,563 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.