Cost of Living: Oro Valley, AZ vs San Marcos, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,370/mo in Oro Valley, AZ versus $3,974/mo in San Marcos, CA. In the model, rent is about 23.35% of gross in Oro Valley, AZ versus 31.92% in San Marcos, CA, so Oro Valley, AZ tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Oro Valley, AZ
$4,370/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in San Marcos, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Oro Valley, AZ
23.35%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in San Marcos, CA
31.92%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Oro Valley, AZ and San Marcos, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): San Marcos, CA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Oro Valley, AZ
  • Lower home prices: Oro Valley, AZ
  • Higher median household income: Oro Valley, AZ

Cost of Living Index

Oro Valley, AZ: 100 (U.S. = 100) · San Marcos, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100)

Both cities have the same cost-of-living index (U.S. average = 100).

Median Rent

Oro Valley, AZ: $1,522/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Marcos, CA: $2,082/mo

Median rent in San Marcos, CA is $560/mo higher than in Oro Valley, AZ.

Median Home Price

Oro Valley, AZ: $440,400 · San Marcos, CA: $792,400

Median home price in San Marcos, CA is $352,000 higher than in Oro Valley, AZ.

Median Household Income

Oro Valley, AZ: $105,342 · San Marcos, CA: $105,286

Oro Valley, AZ has a higher median household income than San Marcos, CA by $56.

Oro Valley, AZ overview · San Marcos, CA overview · Popular comparisons