Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Fairfield, CA and in San Diego, CA: $3,978 and $4,055 a month, rent and utilities included.

190

Cost of Living Index in Fairfield, CA
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Fairfield, CA Living Index
193

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

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Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,978

/mo nomad

San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fairfield, 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 Fairfield, CA and in San Diego, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,978 in Fairfield, CA versus $4,055 in San Diego, CA.

Fairfield, CA $3,978
San Diego, CA $4,055

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,242 in Fairfield, CA versus $6,224 in San Diego, CA.

Fairfield, CA $5,242
San Diego, CA $6,224

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,507 in Fairfield, CA versus $8,392 in San Diego, CA.

Fairfield, CA $6,507
San Diego, CA $8,392

Monthly costs are close between Fairfield, CA and San Diego, CA; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fairfield, CA 194% above, San Diego, CA 200% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.62 $21.62

$30.13 $30.13

-28.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$100 $100

-11.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 $12.01

$15.12 $15.12

-20.57%

Cappuccino

$6.94 $6.94

$6.05 $6.05

14.71%

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

$3.49 $3.49

$3.20 $3.20

9.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.69 $2.69

-24.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 $7.98

$8.13 $8.13

-1.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$9.89 $9.89

-27.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.36 $1.36

3.68%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 $4.42

$5.74 $5.74

-23.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$4.69 $4.69

-0.21%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$6.97 $6.97

-20.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.08 $14.08

$17.46 $17.46

-19.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$13.91 $13.91

9.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 $17.77

$21.16 $21.16

-16.02%

Apples (1kg)

$6.11 $6.11

$4.63 $4.63

31.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.83 $1.83

41.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$4.82 $4.82

31.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$4.89 $4.89

34.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.51 $3.51

10.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.74 $2.74

29.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.09 $2.09

11.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.01 $2.01

2.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 $11.87

$11.59 $11.59

2.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 $10.18

$16.02 $16.02

-36.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.21 $2.21

-4.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$3.25 $3.25

-34.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.49 $2.49

-21.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 $87.1

$71.7 $71.7

21.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.91 $3.91

-24.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.69 $2.69

-27.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.14 $29.14

$27.68 $27.68

5.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.60 $1.60

-10.63%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$29.9K $29.9K

-5.65%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

0.95%

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

$193 $193

$245 $245

-21.26%

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

$48.25 $48.25

$72.9 $72.9

-33.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$78.8 $78.8

-7.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$125 $125

$62.1 $62.1

101.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$73.7 $73.7

$23.29 $23.29

216.49%

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 $14.61

$20.29 $20.29

-27.99%

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

$1,293 $1,293

$1,910 $1,910

-32.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K $22.3K

$37.5K $37.5K

-40.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$63.1 $63.1

-19.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.08 $37.08

$55.8 $55.8

-33.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$115 $115

-6.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$140 $140

-20.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,396 $2,396

$3,396 $3,396

-29.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 $2,432

$2,367 $2,367

2.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,100 $3,100

$5,617 $5,617

-44.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,967 $2,967

$4,604 $4,604

-35.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,719 $3,719

$7,975 $7,975

-53.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,665 $3,665

$6,346 $6,346

-42.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,749 $4,749

$5,018 $5,018

-5.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

6.86

-5.54%

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

Last update for Fairfield, CA: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Diego, CA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fairfield, CA

$2.4K 61.1%

San Diego, CA

$2.4K 58.4% 2.7% $65

Groceries & Markets

Fairfield, CA

$463 11.7%

San Diego, CA

$479 11.8% 3.4% $16

Eating Out

Fairfield, CA

$369 9.3%

San Diego, CA

$443 10.9% 20.2% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairfield, CA

$314 7.9%

San Diego, CA

$396 9.8% 26.3% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Fairfield, CA

$155 3.9%

San Diego, CA

$103 2.5% 33.5% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Fairfield, CA

$138 3.5%

San Diego, CA

$169 4.2% 22% $30

Getting Around

Fairfield, CA

$108 2.7%

San Diego, CA

$99 2.4% 8% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,396 in Fairfield, CA and $3,396 in San Diego, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Diego, CA pays 6% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Fairfield, CA vs $100 in San Diego, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $463 vs $479 per month, with Fairfield, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🕒 Local time

06:14 6:14 AM

Same time as Fairfield, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,133

1,386,932

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fairfield, CA San Diego, CA 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Fairfield, 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

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

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Fairfield, 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: $2,396 in Fairfield, CA versus $3,396 in San Diego, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Diego, CA runs roughly 18% less than in Fairfield, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in San Diego, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Fairfield, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Fairfield, CA wins on affordability, San Diego, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.