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 | Tempe | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,080/mo | $1,472/mo | 41.3% higher in A |
| Median home value | $783,300 | $382,100 | 105.0% higher in A |
| Median household income | $98,657 | $72,022 | 37.0% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 110.2 | 104.5 | 5.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 135.0 | 125.8 | 7.3% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 117.2 | 105.4 | 11.1% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 121.0 | 105.1 | 15.1% 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 $80,955 in Tempe to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tempe, AZ is about 19% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 29% lower in Tempe than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in San Diego, you'd need about $64,764 in Tempe to keep the same standard of living.