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 | Waterloo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,080/mo | $865/mo | 140.5% higher in A |
| Median home value | $783,300 | $142,000 | 451.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $98,657 | $54,104 | 82.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 106.8 | 94.5 | 13.0% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 159.5 | 86.1 | 85.3% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 101.1 | 94.1 | 7.4% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 101.0 | 94.8 | 6.5% 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 $58,565 in Waterloo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Waterloo, IA is about 41.4% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 63% lower in Waterloo than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in San Diego, you'd need about $46,852 in Waterloo to keep the same standard of living.