Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Diego, CA and Bergen County, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in San Diego, CA: $4,012 a month against $4,323 in Bergen County, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

196

Cost of Living Index in San Diego, CA
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San Diego, CA Living Index
208

Cost of Living Index in Bergen County, NJ
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Bergen County, NJ Living Index

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San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,012

/mo nomad

Bergen County, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$4,323

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Diego, CA and in Bergen County, NJ

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,012 in San Diego, CA versus $4,323 in Bergen County, NJ.

San Diego, CA $4,012
Bergen County, NJ $4,323

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,068 in San Diego, CA versus $5,463 in Bergen County, NJ.

San Diego, CA $6,068
Bergen County, NJ $5,463

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,123 in San Diego, CA versus $6,603 in Bergen County, NJ.

San Diego, CA $8,123
Bergen County, NJ $6,603

Living in San Diego, CA costs roughly 7% less than in Bergen County, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Diego, CA 196% above, Bergen County, NJ 219% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.72 $24.72

$22.48 $22.48

9.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$85.3 $85.3

18.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.63 $14.63

$12.83 $12.83

14.03%

Cappuccino

$5.89 $5.89

$5.13 $5.13

14.81%

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

$3.11 $3.11

$3.07 $3.07

1.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.23 $2.23

23.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.10 $8.10

$8.19 $8.19

-1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$8.09 $8.09

24.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.45 $1.45

-8.97%

White Bread (500g)

$5.63 $5.63

$4.37 $4.37

28.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$7.59 $7.59

-37.02%

Eggs

$6.71 $6.71

$5.07 $5.07

32.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 $17.10

$12.66 $12.66

35.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.85 $13.85

$11.91 $11.91

16.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.43 $21.43

$17.75 $17.75

20.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$5.25 $5.25

-12.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.54 $1.54

21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.10 $5.10

-8.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$5.05 $5.05

-2.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.73 $2.73

22.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.05 $3.05

-5.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.38 $2.38

-12.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.39 $2.39

-14.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.76 $11.76

$11.90 $11.90

-1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.25 $16.25

$24.56 $24.56

-33.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.72 $1.72

34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$4.46 $4.46

-28.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$4.17 $4.17

-40.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.4 $73.4

$169 $169

-56.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.64 $2.64

16.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.53 $1.53

33.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.86 $27.86

$24.11 $24.11

15.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.06 $1.06

50.94%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$28.0K $28.0K

5.79%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.24%

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

$252 $252

$211 $211

19.80%

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

$70.6 $70.6

$73.5 $73.5

-4.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.8 $80.8

$64.7 $64.7

24.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 $69.0

$98.2 $98.2

-29.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.09 $24.09

$49.53 $49.53

-51.36%

Cinema Ticket

$20.16 $20.16

$15.26 $15.26

32.11%

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

$1,950 $1,950

$2,285 $2,285

-14.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.7K $36.7K

$24.1K $24.1K

52.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 $63.6

$48.52 $48.52

31.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 $55.9

$46.34 $46.34

20.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$79.9 $79.9

41.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$153 $153

-5.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,207 $3,207

$2,786 $2,786

15.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,360 $2,360

$2,685 $2,685

-12.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,381 $5,381

$4,541 $4,541

18.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,426 $4,426

$2,963 $2,963

49.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,234 $8,234

$3,928 $3,928

109.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,506 $6,506

$3,697 $3,697

75.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,039 $5,039

$5,356 $5,356

-5.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.62

1.96%

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

Last update for San Diego, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Bergen County, NJ: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Diego, CA

$2.4K 58.8%

Bergen County, NJ

$2.7K 62.1% 13.7% $324

Groceries & Markets

San Diego, CA

$477 11.9%

Bergen County, NJ

$460 10.6% 3.6% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Diego, CA

$404 10.1%

Bergen County, NJ

$349 8.1% 13.6% $55

Eating Out

San Diego, CA

$396 9.9%

Bergen County, NJ

$358 8.3% 9.7% $38

Clothing & Footwear

San Diego, CA

$169 4.2%

Bergen County, NJ

$147 3.4% 13% $22

Sport & Entertainment

San Diego, CA

$109 2.7%

Bergen County, NJ

$129 3% 17.7% $19

Getting Around

San Diego, CA

$97 2.4%

Bergen County, NJ

$196 4.5% 103% $99

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,207 in San Diego, CA and $2,786 in Bergen County, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen County, NJ pays 6% 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: $101 in San Diego, CA vs $85.0 in Bergen County, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $460 per month, with Bergen County, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 Bergen County, NJ

🕒 Local time

21:09 9:09 PM

00:09 12:09 AM

3 h ahead of San Diego, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,386,932

11,668

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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San Diego, CA Bergen County, NJ 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Diego, CA
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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

San Diego, CA vs Bergen County, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Diego, CA and Bergen County, NJ differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($4,012 vs $4,323 including rent). San Diego, CA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Bergen County, NJ. 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: $3,207 in San Diego, CA versus $2,786 in Bergen County, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in San Diego, CA – a meal for two runs $101 versus $85.0 in Bergen County, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,012 per month in San Diego, CA versus $4,323 in Bergen County, NJ – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $5,000. San Diego, 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, San Diego, CA and Bergen County, NJ 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 San Diego, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Bergen County, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.