City comparison
Redwood City, CA is about 425 miles (700 km) from San Diego, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 550 miles, or about 9 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 Redwood City, CA to San Diego, CA takes about 52 min, covering roughly 425 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 83,077 in Redwood City — about 16.7× larger by population. By land area, San Diego covers about 325 sq mi vs 19 sq mi for Redwood City.
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 | Redwood City | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,899/mo | $2,080/mo | 39.4% higher in Redwood City |
| Median home value | $1,777,600 | $783,300 | 126.9% higher in Redwood City |
| Median household income | $145,620 | $98,657 | 47.6% higher in Redwood City |
| Groceries index | 107.4 | 107.6 | ≈ equal (San Diego slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 165.0 | 169.8 | 2.9% higher in San Diego |
| Transportation index | 104.8 | 100.0 | 4.8% higher in Redwood City |
| Healthcare index | 104.8 | 100.0 | 4.8% higher in Redwood City |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Redwood City, you'd need $92,745 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Diego, CA is about 7.3% cheaper overall than Redwood City, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 13% higher in Redwood City than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Redwood City, you'd need about $74,196 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.