Head to head
New York, NY vs San Diego, CA
San Diego is cheaper — estimated essentials for a single person run about $155/mo less, and living comfortably there takes roughly $9,000 less in annual salary (taxes included).
It flips for a family. For two adults with a pre-schooler and a school-age child, New York is the cheaper of the two — rent scales to household size using each city's own bedroom spread, and childcare varies even more sharply between cities than rent does.
| Metric | New York44 | San Diego66 |
|---|---|---|
| Est. monthly cost (single) | $5,531 | $5,376 |
| Est. monthly cost (family of 4, incl. childcare) | $11,966 | $13,238 |
| Salary for comfort | $115,500/yr | $106,500/yr |
| Typical rent | $2,910 | $3,001 |
| Median home value | $751,700 | $848,500 |
| Median household income | $79,713 | $104,321 |
| Unemployment | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Housing score | 3 | 10 |
| Jobs score | 43 | 51 |
| Safety score | 47 | 100 |
| Climate score | 99 | 100 |
| Amenities score | 40 | 95 |
| Population | 8.5M | 1.4M |
| Summer high / winter low | 84° / 27° | 75° / 49° |
Fit scores use the reference profile (single, $6,700/mo gross, default weights). Green marks the better value per row.
New York, NY
San Diego, CA