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 | Salinas | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,795/mo | $2,080/mo | 13.7% lower in A |
| Median home value | $573,600 | $783,300 | 26.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $84,250 | $98,657 | 14.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 107.5 | 110.2 | 2.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 130.7 | 135.0 | 3.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 111.7 | 117.2 | 4.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 113.5 | 121.0 | 6.1% 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 Salinas, you'd need $109,807 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Salinas, CA is about 8.9% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 14% lower in Salinas than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Salinas, you'd need about $87,846 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.