Cost of Living: Santa Monica, 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 Santa Monica, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Diego, CA. In the model, rent is about 34.06% of gross in Santa Monica, CA versus 32.4% in San Diego, CA, so San Diego, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Santa Monica, CA and San Diego, 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
Santa Monica, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · San Diego, CA: 142.3 (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
Santa Monica, CA: $2,221/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Diego, CA: $2,112/mo
Median rent in Santa Monica, CA is $109/mo higher than in San Diego, CA.
Median Home Price
Santa Monica, CA: $1,810,200 · San Diego, CA: $848,500
Median home price in Santa Monica, CA is $961,700 higher than in San Diego, CA.
Median Household Income
Santa Monica, CA: $109,739 · San Diego, CA: $104,321
Santa Monica, CA has a higher median household income than San Diego, CA by $5,418.
Santa Monica, CA overview · San Diego, CA overview · Popular comparisons