Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Concord, CA and San Diego, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Concord, CA: $3,079 a month against $4,077 in San Diego, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

151

Cost of Living Index in Concord, CA
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Concord, CA Living Index
197

Cost of Living Index in San Diego, CA
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San Diego, CA Living Index

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Concord, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,079

/mo nomad

San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,077

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Concord, CA and in San Diego, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Concord, CA and in San Diego, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,079 in Concord, CA versus $4,077 in San Diego, CA.

Concord, CA $3,079
San Diego, CA $4,077

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Concord, CA versus $6,059 in San Diego, CA.

Concord, CA $4,627
San Diego, CA $6,059

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,175 in Concord, CA versus $8,041 in San Diego, CA.

Concord, CA $6,175
San Diego, CA $8,041

Living in Concord, CA costs roughly 24% less than in San Diego, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Concord, CA 128% above, San Diego, CA 202% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.98 $24.98

$24.72 $24.72

1.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 $79.0

$97.7 $97.7

-19.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.14 $15.14

$13.25 $13.25

14.26%

Cappuccino

$5.98 $5.98

$5.96 $5.96

0.34%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.12 $3.12

4.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.03 $9.03

$8.14 $8.14

10.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$11.11 $11.11

-25.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.37 $1.37

-3.65%

White Bread (500g)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.58 $5.58

-22.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

Eggs

$5.53 $5.53

$6.77 $6.77

-18.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.74 $24.74

$17.12 $17.12

44.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.65 $11.65

$14.30 $14.30

-18.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.28 $13.28

$20.72 $20.72

-35.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.62 $4.62

16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.86 $1.86

36.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$4.32 $4.32

10.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$5.08 $5.08

15.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.11 $3.11

9.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.70 $2.70

42.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.12 $2.12

16.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.01 $2.01

30.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.56 $7.56

$11.74 $11.74

-35.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.82 $12.82

$16.72 $16.72

-23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.16 $2.16

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.20 $3.20

-22.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.47 $2.47

0.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$73.4 $73.4

-19.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.99 $2.99

16.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.09 $2.09

-8.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.88 $39.88

$28.38 $28.38

40.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.55 $1.55

-5.16%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.2K $30.2K

$37.0K $37.0K

-18.49%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K $26.5K

$25.6K $25.6K

3.55%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$139 $139

$256 $256

-45.71%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$43.06 $43.06

$73.9 $73.9

-41.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.6 $63.6

$84.4 $84.4

-24.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.4 $98.4

$72.9 $72.9

35.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.09 $24.09

Cinema Ticket

$14.83 $14.83

$20.21 $20.21

-26.62%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,270 $2,270

$1,968 $1,968

15.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$36.0K $36.0K

-33.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 $51.5

$68.4 $68.4

-24.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.78 $40.78

$54.7 $54.7

-25.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 $73.9

$114 $114

-35.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.0 $61.0

$146 $146

-58.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,315 $2,315

$3,210 $3,210

-27.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 $1,658

$2,410 $2,410

-31.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,534 $3,534

$5,499 $5,499

-35.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,968 $2,968

$4,336 $4,336

-31.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,110 $8,110

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,682 $6,682

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,847 $4,847

$4,975 $4,975

-2.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.7

-0.60%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Concord, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for San Diego, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Concord, CA

$1.7K 53.9%

San Diego, CA

$2.4K 59.1% 45.3% $752

Groceries & Markets

Concord, CA

$460 14.9%

San Diego, CA

$475 11.7% 3.3% $15

Eating Out

Concord, CA

$402 13.1%

San Diego, CA

$395 9.7% 1.8% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Concord, CA

$246 8%

San Diego, CA

$414 10.2% 68.6% $169

Sport & Entertainment

Concord, CA

$128 4.2%

San Diego, CA

$113 2.8% 11.6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Concord, CA

$102 3.3%

San Diego, CA

$172 4.2% 68.7% $70

Getting Around

Concord, CA

$82 2.7%

San Diego, CA

$97 2.4% 17.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,315 in Concord, CA and $3,210 in San Diego, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Diego, CA pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Concord, CA vs $98.0 in San Diego, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $460 vs $475 per month, with Concord, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Concord, CA

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

Same time as Concord, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,695

1,386,932

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Concord, CA San Diego, CA 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Concord, CA
San Diego, CA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Concord, CA vs San Diego, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Concord, CA and San Diego, CA differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($3,079 vs $4,077 including rent). Concord, CA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in San Diego, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,315 in Concord, CA versus $3,210 in San Diego, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Concord, CA – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $98.0 in San Diego, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,079 per month in Concord, CA versus $4,077 in San Diego, CA – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Concord, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Concord, CA and San Diego, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Concord, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in San Diego, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.