Cost of Living: Palm Desert, 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 Palm Desert, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Diego, CA. In the model, rent is about 25.01% of gross in Palm Desert, CA versus 32.4% in San Diego, CA, so Palm Desert, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Palm Desert, CA and San Diego, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Palm Desert, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Palm Desert, CA
- Lower home prices: Palm Desert, CA
- Higher median household income: San Diego, CA
Cost of Living Index
Palm Desert, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · San Diego, CA: 142.3 (U.S. = 100)
Palm Desert, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than San Diego, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Palm Desert, CA: $1,631/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Diego, CA: $2,112/mo
Median rent in San Diego, CA is $481/mo higher than in Palm Desert, CA.
Median Home Price
Palm Desert, CA: $491,600 · San Diego, CA: $848,500
Median home price in San Diego, CA is $356,900 higher than in Palm Desert, CA.
Median Household Income
Palm Desert, CA: $79,508 · San Diego, CA: $104,321
San Diego, CA has a higher median household income than Palm Desert, CA by $24,813.
Palm Desert, CA overview · San Diego, CA overview · Popular comparisons