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 | Seattle | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,080/mo | $1,945/mo | 6.9% higher in A |
| Median home value | $783,300 | $879,900 | 11.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $98,657 | $116,068 | 15.0% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 93.6 | 11.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 89.2 | 40.3% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 120.5 | 13.2% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 128.1 | 18.7% 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 San Diego, you'd need $93,508 in Seattle to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Seattle, WA is about 6.5% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 6% lower in Seattle than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in San Diego, you'd need about $74,806 in Seattle to keep the same standard of living.