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 | St. Paul | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,080/mo | $1,174/mo | 77.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $783,300 | $264,900 | 195.7% higher in A |
| Median household income | $98,657 | $69,919 | 41.1% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 110.2 | 102.2 | 7.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 135.0 | 88.6 | 52.3% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 117.2 | 91.9 | 27.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 121.0 | 92.3 | 31.0% 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 $67,968 in St. Paul to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
St. Paul, MN is about 32% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 44% lower in St. Paul than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in San Diego, you'd need about $54,374 in St. Paul to keep the same standard of living.