Cost of Living: San Diego, CA vs Santa Monica, CA
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in San Diego, CA versus $3,974/mo in Santa Monica, CA. In the model, rent is about 32.4% of gross in San Diego, CA versus 34.06% in Santa Monica, CA, so San Diego, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between San Diego, CA and Santa Monica, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Santa Monica, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): San Diego, CA
- Lower home prices: San Diego, CA
- Higher median household income: Santa Monica, CA
Cost of Living Index
San Diego, CA: 142.3 (U.S. = 100) · Santa Monica, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100)
Santa Monica, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than San Diego, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
San Diego, CA: $2,112/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Santa Monica, CA: $2,221/mo
Median rent in Santa Monica, CA is $109/mo higher than in San Diego, CA.
Median Home Price
San Diego, CA: $848,500 · Santa Monica, CA: $1,810,200
Median home price in Santa Monica, CA is $961,700 higher than in San Diego, CA.
Median Household Income
San Diego, CA: $104,321 · Santa Monica, CA: $109,739
Santa Monica, CA has a higher median household income than San Diego, CA by $5,418.
San Diego, CA overview · Santa Monica, CA overview · Popular comparisons