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 | Rapid City | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $975/mo | $2,080/mo | 53.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $244,500 | $783,300 | 68.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $62,784 | $98,657 | 36.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.7 | 106.8 | 10.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 82.9 | 159.5 | 48.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 93.4 | 101.1 | 7.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.0 | 101.0 | 6.8% 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 Rapid City, you'd need $163,528 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rapid City, SD is about 38.8% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 58% lower in Rapid City than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Rapid City, you'd need about $130,822 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.