City comparison
Fontana, CA is about 90 miles (150 km) from San Diego, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 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 Fontana, CA to San Diego, CA takes about 11 min, covering roughly 90 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 209,279 in Fontana — about 6.6× larger by population. By land area, San Diego covers about 325 sq mi vs 43 sq mi for Fontana.
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 | Fontana | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,616/mo | $2,080/mo | 28.7% higher in San Diego |
| Median home value | $506,600 | $783,300 | 54.6% higher in San Diego |
| Median household income | $93,230 | $98,657 | 5.8% higher in San Diego |
| Groceries index | 101.7 | 107.6 | 5.8% higher in San Diego |
| Utilities index | 146.5 | 169.8 | 15.9% higher in San Diego |
| Transportation index | 101.6 | 100.0 | 1.5% higher in Fontana |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 100.0 | 1.5% higher in Fontana |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Fontana, you'd need $119,799 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fontana, CA is about 16.5% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 38% higher in San Diego than in Fontana. If you earn $80,000 in Fontana, you'd need about $95,839 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.