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 | $1,251/mo | 66.3% higher in A |
| Median home value | $783,300 | $248,300 | 215.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $98,657 | $47,394 | 108.2% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 106.8 | 95.2 | 12.1% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 159.5 | 85.9 | 85.7% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 101.1 | 97.5 | 3.7% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 101.0 | 95.8 | 5.4% 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 San Diego, you'd need $74,294 in San Marcos to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Marcos, TX is about 25.7% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 35% lower in San Marcos than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in San Diego, you'd need about $59,435 in San Marcos to keep the same standard of living.