Los Angeles vs San Diego Cost of Living
Los Angeles (United States) · Overall index 84.3 — San Diego (United States) · Overall index 80.0
Summary
- Overall, San Diego is 5% cheaper than Los Angeles.
- Utilities & household in San Diego is 10% cheaper than in Los Angeles.
- Rent in San Diego is 9% cheaper than in Los Angeles.
| Item | Los Angeles | San Diego | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -9% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,015 | $2,906 | -4% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,094 | $1,560 | -26% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,390 | $5,348 | -1% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $3,727 | $3,541 | -5% |
| Groceries | -3% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.22 | $1.29 | +6% |
| White bread (500g) | $4.23 | $3.77 | -11% |
| Rice (1kg) | $5.36 | $4.26 | -21% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.45 | $4.41 | -1% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $12.9 | $14.8 | +15% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $13.9 | $12.7 | -9% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $19.4 | $19.1 | -2% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.63 | $5.14 | -9% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $2.08 | $1.82 | -12% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.73 | $3.98 | -16% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.89 | $5.15 | -13% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.66 | $3.07 | +15% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.62 | $2.92 | +11% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.64 | $2.36 | -11% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.4 | $2.61 | +9% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $15.1 | $15.1 | 0% |
| Transport | 0% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.52 | $2.68 | +6% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $123 | $122 | -1% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.66 | $3.68 | +1% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.93 | $1.86 | -4% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.95 | $0.87 | -8% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $24,629 | $26,442 | +7% |
| Dining out | -5% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $19.4 | $22.6 | +16% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $120 | $107 | -11% |
| Fast food combo meal | $10.6 | $11.9 | +12% |
| Cappuccino | $5.3 | $5.18 | -2% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.52 | $2.16 | -14% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $7.79 | $5.99 | -23% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $8.45 | $7.37 | -13% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.83 | $1.87 | +2% |
| Telecom | -1% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $53.8 | $63.4 | +18% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $58.1 | $55.3 | -5% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.32 | $0.31 | -3% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $15 | $13.3 | -11% |
| Utilities & household | -10% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $181 | $153 | -15% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.24 | $0.2 | -17% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.85 | $4.02 | -17% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.31 | $1.46 | +11% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $22.7 | $20.8 | -8% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $88.5 | $79.6 | -10% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $16.8 | $15.3 | -9% |
| Men's haircut | $30.7 | $27.1 | -12% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $27.9 | $26.6 | -5% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,276 | $2,070 | -9% |
3,067 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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