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 | El Cajon | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,686/mo | $2,316/mo | 27.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $593,500 | $1,348,700 | 56.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $64,128 | $136,689 | 53.1% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 106.5 | 58.2 | 83.0% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 129.0 | 62.4 | 106.8% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 109.6 | 59.8 | 83.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.7 | 38.9 | 184.4% higher 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 El Cajon, you'd need $90,722 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Francisco, CA is about 9.3% cheaper overall than El Cajon, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 27% lower in El Cajon than in San Francisco. If you earn $80,000 in El Cajon, you'd need about $72,577 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.