New York vs San Diego Cost of Living
New York (United States) · Overall index 100.0 — San Diego (United States) · Overall index 80.0
Summary
- Overall, San Diego is 20% cheaper than New York.
- Rent in San Diego is 34% cheaper than in New York.
- Dining out in San Diego is 18% cheaper than in New York.
| Item | New York | San Diego | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -34% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $4,328 | $2,906 | -33% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,796 | $1,560 | -44% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $7,980 | $5,348 | -33% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $4,915 | $3,541 | -28% |
| Groceries | -14% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.48 | $1.29 | -13% |
| White bread (500g) | $4.03 | $3.77 | -6% |
| Rice (1kg) | $5.54 | $4.26 | -23% |
| Eggs (12) | $5.18 | $4.41 | -15% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $16.5 | $14.8 | -10% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $13.6 | $12.7 | -7% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $22.8 | $19.1 | -16% |
| Apples (1kg) | $6.73 | $5.14 | -24% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $2.56 | $1.82 | -29% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $5.31 | $3.98 | -25% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $6.04 | $5.15 | -15% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.01 | $3.07 | +2% |
| Onions (1kg) | $3.09 | $2.92 | -6% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.85 | $2.36 | -17% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.81 | $2.61 | -7% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $17 | $15.1 | -11% |
| Transport | -9% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.75 | $2.68 | -3% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $145 | $122 | -16% |
| Taxi, base fare | $4.13 | $3.68 | -11% |
| Taxi, per km | $2.06 | $1.86 | -10% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.93 | $0.87 | -6% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $29,178 | $26,442 | -9% |
| Dining out | -18% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $25.5 | $22.6 | -11% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $140 | $107 | -24% |
| Fast food combo meal | $12.7 | $11.9 | -6% |
| Cappuccino | $5.58 | $5.18 | -7% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.23 | $2.16 | -33% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $8.19 | $5.99 | -27% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $8.34 | $7.37 | -12% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.48 | $1.87 | -25% |
| Telecom | -12% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $64.2 | $63.4 | -1% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $66.9 | $55.3 | -17% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.38 | $0.31 | -18% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $14.9 | $13.3 | -11% |
| Utilities & household | -14% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $173 | $153 | -12% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.25 | $0.2 | -20% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.81 | $4.02 | -16% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.75 | $1.46 | -17% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $23.6 | $20.8 | -12% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $94.7 | $79.6 | -16% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $16.6 | $15.3 | -8% |
| Men's haircut | $36.8 | $27.1 | -26% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $25.1 | $26.6 | +6% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,473 | $2,070 | -16% |
2,982 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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