USLivingCost Salaries · Rent · Cost of Living

Fontana, CA vs. San Diego, CA

Median rent is $1,733 a month in Fontana, CA and $2,223 in San Diego, CA. Household income is $98,187 against $104,321. Both cities are read from the same ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates and the same BEA Regional Price Parities 2023, so the two columns below are directly comparable.

$
Same standard of living
A salary of $100,000 in Fontana, CA buys what $99,032 buys in San Diego, CA
-$968 less to keep the same standard of living
Median gross rent Monthly
$1,733 $2,223 +28.3%
Median household income Annual
$98,187 $104,321 +6.2%
Median home value Owner-occupied
$558,500 $848,500 +51.9%
Rent as share of income Annual rent ÷ income
21.2% 25.6% 4.4 pp
Price level U.S. average = 100
112.6 111.5 -1.0%
Salary needed for median rent Keeps rent at 30% of gross
$69,300 $88,900 +28.3%
Rent median income carries at 30% Affordable rent
$2,455 $2,608 +6.2%
Population City proper
211,921 1,385,061 +553.6%
Equivalent salary For $100,000 in Fontana
$100,000 $99,032 -1.0%

A green or red badge means the second city is higher or lower, not better or worse: a lower rent is good for a tenant, a lower household income is not. For the price level and
the share of income the raw values are shown, because a percentage difference between two
percentages is easy to misread.

What the gap means

Lower rent
$1,733
Fontana, CA · 28.3% below San Diego, CA
Higher household income
$104,321
San Diego, CA · 6.2% above Fontana, CA
Same standard of living
$99,032
$100,000 in Fontana, CA needs $99,032 in San Diego, CA
Price level gap
1.1 points
112.6 in CA against 111.5 in CA
Rent burden gap
4.4 points
Fontana, CA versus San Diego, CA, share of income taken by rent
Highest buying power
89.7%
San Diego, CA · share of the national average income that a dollar there buys

Fontana, CA vs San Diego, CA: frequently asked questions

Is San Diego, CA more expensive than Fontana, CA?

No. Prices in San Diego, CA are about 1.0% lower than in Fontana, CA: a regional price level of 111.5 against 112.6, where the U.S. average is 100.

How much do I need to earn in San Diego, CA to keep a $100,000 lifestyle from Fontana, CA?

About $99,000. Adjusting $100,000 by the BEA regional price levels of the two areas (112.6 in Fontana, CA, 111.5 in San Diego, CA) gives the salary with the same purchasing power. Taxes and personal spending habits are not included.

Is rent cheaper in Fontana, CA or San Diego, CA?

The median gross rent is $1,733 a month in Fontana, CA and $2,223 in San Diego, CA, a difference of $490 a month or $5,880 a year.

Where are household incomes higher, Fontana, CA or San Diego, CA?

The median household income is $98,187 in Fontana, CA and $104,321 in San Diego, CA. Rent takes 21.2% of the median income in Fontana, CA and 25.6% in San Diego, CA.

What salary do I need to afford the median rent in San Diego, CA?

About $88,900 a year, the gross income that keeps the median rent of $2,223 a month at 30% of income. The same rule gives $69,300 in Fontana, CA.

More comparisons with Fontana, CA

More comparisons with San Diego, CA

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Definitions used on this page

Salary needed for the median rent
Twelve months of median gross rent divided by 0.30: the income that keeps the median rent at 30% of gross pay.
Price level
BEA regional price parity for the metro area where one is published, otherwise for the state. The national average is 100.
Same standard of living
A salary in Fontana, CA converted into San Diego, CA at the ratio of the two price levels. It adjusts for prices only, not for taxes or for what either city offers.
Buying power
One hundred divided by the price level: what a dollar buys locally relative to the national average.

Sources

Margins of error are published for every Census figure. Read the methodology before reading a small gap between two cities as a real difference.

Full detail for each city: Fontana, CA · San Diego, CA