Cost of Living: Vista, 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 Vista, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Diego, CA. In the model, rent is about 31.3% of gross in Vista, CA versus 32.4% in San Diego, CA, so Vista, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Vista, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in San Diego, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Vista, CA
31.3%
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 Vista, CA and San Diego, CA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

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

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

Median Rent

Vista, CA: $2,041/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Diego, CA: $2,112/mo

Median rent in San Diego, CA is $71/mo higher than in Vista, CA.

Median Home Price

Vista, CA: $674,400 · San Diego, CA: $848,500

Median home price in San Diego, CA is $174,100 higher than in Vista, CA.

Median Household Income

Vista, CA: $91,854 · San Diego, CA: $104,321

San Diego, CA has a higher median household income than Vista, CA by $12,467.

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