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 | San Diego | San Marcos | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,080/mo | $2,064/mo | 0.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $783,300 | $728,800 | 7.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $98,657 | $99,413 | 0.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 125.1 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 104.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in San Diego, you'd need $99,232 in San Marcos to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Marcos, CA is about 0.8% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in San Diego, you'd need about $79,386 in San Marcos to keep the same standard of living.