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 | Roanoke | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $917/mo | $2,080/mo | 55.9% lower in A |
| Median home value | $162,000 | $783,300 | 79.3% lower in A |
| Median household income | $51,523 | $98,657 | 47.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.7 | 104.1 | 5.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 94.8 | 125.1 | 24.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 100.5 | 104.6 | 3.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 104.1 | 9.0% 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 Roanoke, you'd need $226,825 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Roanoke, VA is about 55.9% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 56% lower in Roanoke than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Roanoke, you'd need about $181,460 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.