USLivingCost Salaries · Rent · Cost of Living

Los Angeles, CA vs. San Diego, CA

Median rent is $1,879 a month in Los Angeles, CA and $2,223 in San Diego, CA. Household income is $80,366 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 Los Angeles, CA buys what $96,567 buys in San Diego, CA
-$3,433 less to keep the same standard of living
Median gross rent Monthly
$1,879 $2,223 +18.3%
Median household income Annual
$80,366 $104,321 +29.8%
Median home value Owner-occupied
$879,500 $848,500 -3.5%
Rent as share of income Annual rent ÷ income
28.1% 25.6% -2.5 pp
Price level U.S. average = 100
115.5 111.5 -3.5%
Salary needed for median rent Keeps rent at 30% of gross
$75,200 $88,900 +18.2%
Rent median income carries at 30% Affordable rent
$2,009 $2,608 +29.8%
Population City proper
3,857,897 1,385,061 -64.1%
Equivalent salary For $100,000 in Los Angeles
$100,000 $96,567 -3.4%

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
$1,879
Los Angeles, CA · 18.3% below San Diego, CA
Higher household income
$104,321
San Diego, CA · 29.8% above Los Angeles, CA
Same standard of living
$96,567
$100,000 in Los Angeles, CA needs $96,567 in San Diego, CA
Price level gap
4.0 points
115.5 in CA against 111.5 in CA
Rent burden gap
2.5 points
Los Angeles, 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

Occupation wages in both metros

May 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Metropolitan areas may differ from city boundaries.

Occupation Los Angeles, CA median San Diego, CA median vs.
Fast Food and Counter Workers $42,110 $42,190 +0.2%
Retail Salespersons $37,700 $37,810 +0.3%
Registered Nurses $135,560 $139,520 +2.9%
General and Operations Managers $125,830 $119,600 -5.0%
Waiters and Waitresses $35,850 $35,850 0.0%
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $38,720 $38,450 -0.7%
Accountants and Auditors $94,360 $96,340 +2.1%
Customer Service Representatives $48,840 $48,730 -0.2%

Metropolitan areas and cover every industry together, so the two columns may describe wider areas than the city limits used for rent and income.

More comparisons with Los Angeles, CA

More comparisons with San Diego, CA

Open this pair in the interactive tool · All comparisons

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 Los Angeles, 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: Los Angeles, CA · San Diego, CA