Residential comparison · 13 facts
San Diego, CA vs San Francisco, CA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in San Diego needs about $102,500 in San Francisco to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from San Francisco, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $68,000 in San Diego.
A few differences
- San Diego is lower on sales tax (7.75% vs 8.63%).
- San Diego is lower on groceries index (108 vs 118).
- San Francisco is higher on median household income ($127,000 vs $98,000).
San Diego vs San Francisco · facet by facet
| Facet | San Diego, CA | San Francisco, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $950,000 | $1,300,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $3,150/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 7.75% | 8.63% |
| Cost of living index | 144 | 178 |
| Groceries index | 108 | 118 |
| Utilities | $180/mo | $240/mo |
| Median household income | $98,000 | $127,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4% |
| Crime index | 38/100 | 46/100 |
| School rating | 7.0/10 | 7.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 266 days | 259 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: San Diego, CA · San Francisco, CA
Questions & answers
- Is San Diego cheaper than San Francisco?
- San Diego has the lower day-to-day cost index (144 vs 178 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in San Francisco equals $85,000 in San Diego?
- A household earning $85,000 in San Diego needs about $102,500 in San Francisco to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of San Francisco lifestyle costs about $68,000 in San Diego.