Cost of Living: Sunnyvale, 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 Sunnyvale, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Diego, CA. In the model, rent is about 44.66% of gross in Sunnyvale, CA versus 32.4% in San Diego, CA, so San Diego, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Sunnyvale, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in San Diego, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Sunnyvale, CA
44.66%
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 Sunnyvale, CA and San Diego, CA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

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

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

Median Rent

Sunnyvale, CA: $2,912/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Diego, CA: $2,112/mo

Median rent in Sunnyvale, CA is $800/mo higher than in San Diego, CA.

Median Home Price

Sunnyvale, CA: $1,816,600 · San Diego, CA: $848,500

Median home price in Sunnyvale, CA is $968,100 higher than in San Diego, CA.

Median Household Income

Sunnyvale, CA: $181,862 · San Diego, CA: $104,321

Sunnyvale, CA has a higher median household income than San Diego, CA by $77,541.

Sunnyvale, CA overview · San Diego, CA overview · Popular comparisons