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 | Riverside | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,711/mo | $2,080/mo | 17.7% lower in A |
| Median home value | $485,500 | $783,300 | 38.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $83,448 | $98,657 | 15.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 91.7 | 104.1 | 11.9% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 89.6 | 125.1 | 28.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.5 | 104.6 | 4.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 108.7 | 104.1 | 4.4% 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 Riverside, you'd need $121,565 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Riverside, CA is about 17.7% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 18% lower in Riverside than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Riverside, you'd need about $97,252 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.