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 | Surprise | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,080/mo | $1,822/mo | 14.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $783,300 | $352,600 | 122.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $98,657 | $87,756 | 12.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 110.2 | 107.8 | 2.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 135.0 | 131.1 | 3.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 117.2 | 112.2 | 4.4% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 121.0 | 114.2 | 5.9% 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 $91,918 in Surprise to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Surprise, AZ is about 8.1% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 12% lower in Surprise than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in San Diego, you'd need about $73,534 in Surprise to keep the same standard of living.