Cost of Living: Mountain View, CA vs San Diego, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Mountain View, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Diego, CA. In the model, rent is about 43.35% of gross in Mountain View, CA versus 32.4% in San Diego, CA, so San Diego, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Mountain View, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in San Diego, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Mountain View, CA
43.35%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in San Diego, CA
32.4%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Mountain View, CA and San Diego, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Mountain View, CA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): San Diego, CA
  • Lower home prices: San Diego, CA
  • Higher median household income: Mountain View, CA

Cost of Living Index

Mountain View, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · San Diego, CA: 142.3 (U.S. = 100)

Mountain View, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than San Diego, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Mountain View, CA: $2,827/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Diego, CA: $2,112/mo

Median rent in Mountain View, CA is $715/mo higher than in San Diego, CA.

Median Home Price

Mountain View, CA: $1,927,400 · San Diego, CA: $848,500

Median home price in Mountain View, CA is $1,078,900 higher than in San Diego, CA.

Median Household Income

Mountain View, CA: $179,917 · San Diego, CA: $104,321

Mountain View, CA has a higher median household income than San Diego, CA by $75,596.

Mountain View, CA overview · San Diego, CA overview · Popular comparisons