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 | Santa Monica | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,080/mo | $2,227/mo | 6.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $783,300 | $1,654,800 | 52.7% lower in A |
| Median household income | $98,657 | $106,797 | 7.6% 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 $107,065 in Santa Monica to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Diego, CA is about 6.6% cheaper overall than Santa Monica, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 7% lower in San Diego than in Santa Monica. If you earn $80,000 in San Diego, you'd need about $85,652 in Santa Monica to keep the same standard of living.