Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Diego, CA and Boulder, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Boulder, CO: $3,518 a month against $4,012 in San Diego, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Diego, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

196

Cost of Living Index in San Diego, CA
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San Diego, CA Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Boulder, CO
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Boulder, CO Living Index

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San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,012

/mo nomad

Boulder, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Boulder, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,012 per month in San Diego, CA vs $3,518 in Boulder, CO, rent included.

San Diego, CA $4,012
Boulder, CO $3,518

A couple spends around $6,068 per month in San Diego, CA vs $5,103 in Boulder, CO, rent included.

San Diego, CA $6,068
Boulder, CO $5,103

A family of three spends $8,123 per month in San Diego, CA vs $6,689 in Boulder, CO, rent included.

San Diego, CA $8,123
Boulder, CO $6,689

San Diego, CA costs about 14% more than Boulder, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Diego, CA and Boulder, CO sit above the global median – San Diego, CA by 196%, Boulder, CO by 160%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.72 $24.72

$19.81 $19.81

24.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$79.3 $79.3

27.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.63 $14.63

$15.07 $15.07

-2.92%

Cappuccino

$5.89 $5.89

$5.56 $5.56

5.94%

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

$3.11 $3.11

$3.70 $3.70

-15.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.88 $2.88

-4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.10 $8.10

$7.09 $7.09

14.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$8.84 $8.84

13.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.18 $1.18

11.86%

White Bread (500g)

$5.63 $5.63

$5.55 $5.55

1.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$6.50 $6.50

-26.46%

Eggs

$6.71 $6.71

$5.53 $5.53

21.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 $17.10

$11.85 $11.85

44.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.85 $13.85

$10.91 $10.91

26.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.43 $21.43

$17.35 $17.35

23.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$5.93 $5.93

-22.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.46 $1.46

28.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.35 $6.35

-26.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$6.09 $6.09

-19.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.92 $3.92

-14.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.84 $3.84

-24.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$3.35 $3.35

-37.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.65 $2.65

-23.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.76 $11.76

$10.24 $10.24

14.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.25 $16.25

$17.23 $17.23

-5.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.86 $1.86

24.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$4.94 $4.94

-35.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.82 $2.82

-12.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.4 $73.4

$152 $152

-51.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.43 $2.43

26.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.38 $1.38

48.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.86 $27.86

$24.21 $24.21

15.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.08 $1.08

48.15%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$27.5K $27.5K

7.89%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.9K $26.9K

-0.63%

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

$252 $252

$279 $279

-9.60%

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

$70.6 $70.6

$72.1 $72.1

-2.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.8 $80.8

$74.2 $74.2

8.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 $69.0

$83.1 $83.1

-16.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.09 $24.09

$20.21 $20.21

19.20%

Cinema Ticket

$20.16 $20.16

$16.72 $16.72

20.57%

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

$1,950 $1,950

$1,633 $1,633

19.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.7K $36.7K

$31.2K $31.2K

17.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 $63.6

$69.2 $69.2

-8.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 $55.9

$48.21 $48.21

15.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$92.2 $92.2

22.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

0.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,207 $3,207

$2,374 $2,374

35.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,360 $2,360

$1,825 $1,825

29.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,381 $5,381

$4,307 $4,307

24.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,426 $4,426

$3,069 $3,069

44.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,234 $8,234

$4,420 $4,420

86.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,495 $4,495

44.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,039 $5,039

$5,629 $5,629

-10.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.55

3.05%

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 Boulder, CO: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Diego, CA

$2.4K 58.8%

Boulder, CO

$1.8K 51.9% 22.7% $536

Groceries & Markets

San Diego, CA

$477 11.9%

Boulder, CO

$470 13.4% 1.4% $6.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Diego, CA

$404 10.1%

Boulder, CO

$425 12.1% 5.4% $22

Eating Out

San Diego, CA

$396 9.9%

Boulder, CO

$350 10% 11.7% $47

Clothing & Footwear

San Diego, CA

$169 4.2%

Boulder, CO

$159 4.5% 6.1% $10

Sport & Entertainment

San Diego, CA

$109 2.7%

Boulder, CO

$117 3.3% 6.6% $7.2

Getting Around

San Diego, CA

$97 2.4%

Boulder, CO

$173 4.9% 78.7% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,207 in San Diego, CA versus $2,374 in Boulder, CO. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 12% higher in Boulder, CO, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in San Diego, CA versus $79.0 in Boulder, CO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $470 – making Boulder, CO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 Boulder, CO

🕒 Local time

18:23 6:23 PM

19:23 7:23 PM

1 h ahead of San Diego, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,386,932

106,803

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

San Diego, CA Boulder, CO 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Diego, CA
Boulder, CO

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

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

Yes – San Diego, CA is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,018 per month in San Diego, CA and $5,277 in Boulder, CO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Boulder, CO, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in San Diego, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in San Diego, CA and $79.0 in Boulder, CO. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,012 in San Diego, CA and $3,518 in Boulder, CO. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Boulder, CO – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Boulder, CO. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Diego, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.