Head to head
Oakland, CA vs San Diego, CA
Oakland is cheaper — estimated essentials for a single person run about $52/mo less, and living comfortably there takes roughly $1,500 less in annual salary (taxes included).
It flips for a family. For two adults with a pre-schooler and a school-age child, San Diego 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 | Oakland40 | San Diego66 |
|---|---|---|
| Est. monthly cost (single) | $5,324 | $5,376 |
| Est. monthly cost (family of 4, incl. childcare) | $14,608 | $13,238 |
| Salary for comfort | $105,000/yr | $106,500/yr |
| Typical rent | $2,912 | $3,001 |
| Median home value | $924,700 | $848,500 |
| Median household income | $97,369 | $104,321 |
| Unemployment | 4.6% | 4.3% |
| Housing score | 6 | 10 |
| Jobs score | 36 | 51 |
| Safety score | 0 | 100 |
| Climate score | 100 | 100 |
| Amenities score | 71 | 95 |
| Population | 438.1K | 1.4M |
| Summer high / winter low | 72° / 46° | 75° / 49° |
Fit scores use the reference profile (single, $6,700/mo gross, default weights). Green marks the better value per row.
Oakland, CA
San Diego, CA