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 | Palmdale | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,625/mo | $2,080/mo | 21.9% lower in A |
| Median home value | $397,500 | $783,300 | 49.3% lower in A |
| Median household income | $78,414 | $98,657 | 20.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 106.0 | 110.2 | 3.9% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 128.1 | 135.0 | 5.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 108.4 | 117.2 | 7.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 109.1 | 121.0 | 9.8% 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 Palmdale, you'd need $116,627 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Palmdale, CA is about 14.3% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 22% lower in Palmdale than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Palmdale, you'd need about $93,302 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.