Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Diego, CA and Cedar City, UT

For one person, living is cheaper in Cedar City, UT: $2,279 a month against $4,077 in San Diego, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

197

Cost of Living Index in San Diego, CA
Learn more

San Diego, CA Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Cedar City, UT
Learn more

Cedar City, UT Living Index

Jump to prices

San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,077

/mo nomad

Cedar City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,279

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Diego, CA and in Cedar City, UT

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 Cedar City, UT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,077 in San Diego, CA versus $2,279 in Cedar City, UT.

San Diego, CA $4,077
Cedar City, UT $2,279

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,059 in San Diego, CA versus $3,548 in Cedar City, UT.

San Diego, CA $6,059
Cedar City, UT $3,548

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,041 in San Diego, CA versus $4,818 in Cedar City, UT.

San Diego, CA $8,041
Cedar City, UT $4,818

Living in San Diego, CA is roughly 79% more expensive than in Cedar City, UT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Diego, CA 202% above, Cedar City, UT 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.72 $24.72

$23.97 $23.97

3.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.7 $97.7

$78.7 $78.7

24.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 $13.25

$15.01 $15.01

-11.73%

Cappuccino

$5.96 $5.96

$6.53 $6.53

-8.73%

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

$3.12 $3.12

$4.77 $4.77

-34.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.96 $2.96

-11.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$5.97 $5.97

36.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.11 $11.11

$11.09 $11.09

0.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.08 $1.08

26.85%

White Bread (500g)

$5.58 $5.58

$3.66 $3.66

52.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$4.39 $4.39

7.06%

Eggs

$6.77 $6.77

$3.74 $3.74

81.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.12 $17.12

$18.35 $18.35

-6.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.30 $14.30

$15.56 $15.56

-8.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.72 $20.72

$18.18 $18.18

13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$7.94 $7.94

-41.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.41 $2.41

-22.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$7.79 $7.79

-44.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$3.54 $3.54

43.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.78 $1.78

74.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.36 $2.36

14.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.14 $2.14

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.34 $2.34

-14.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.74 $11.74

$13.16 $13.16

-10.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.72 $16.72

$22.32 $22.32

-25.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.97 $1.97

9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$4.91 $4.91

-34.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$5.01 $5.01

-50.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.4 $73.4

$40.35 $40.35

81.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 $2.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.38 $28.38

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$0.89 $0.89

74.16%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$36.7K $36.7K

0.82%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

0.08%

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

$256 $256

$174 $174

46.90%

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

$73.9 $73.9

$33.09 $33.09

123.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.4 $84.4

$58.1 $58.1

45.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 $72.9

$54.1 $54.1

34.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.09 $24.09

Cinema Ticket

$20.21 $20.21

$11.28 $11.28

79.17%

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

$1,968 $1,968

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.0K $36.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 $68.4

$57.0 $57.0

20.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.7 $54.7

$49.36 $49.36

10.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$99.9 $99.9

14.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 $146

$147 $147

-0.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,210 $3,210

$1,043 $1,043

207.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,410 $2,410

$838 $838

187.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,499 $5,499

$1,901 $1,901

189.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,336 $4,336

$1,587 $1,587

173.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,110 $8,110

$2,643 $2,643

206.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,682 $6,682

$2,701 $2,701

147.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,975 $4,975

$3,489 $3,489

42.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

7.19

-6.82%

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

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

Last update for Cedar City, UT: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Diego, CA

$2.4K 59.1%

Cedar City, UT

$838 36.8% 65.2% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

San Diego, CA

$475 11.7%

Cedar City, UT

$481 21.1% 1.2% $5.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Diego, CA

$414 10.2%

Cedar City, UT

$266 11.7% 35.9% $149

Eating Out

San Diego, CA

$395 9.7%

Cedar City, UT

$398 17.5% 0.8% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

San Diego, CA

$172 4.2%

Cedar City, UT

$159 7% 7.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

San Diego, CA

$113 2.8%

Cedar City, UT

$77 3.4% 32.4% $37

Getting Around

San Diego, CA

$97 2.4%

Cedar City, UT

$60 * 2.7% 37.6% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,210 in San Diego, CA and $1,043 in Cedar City, UT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Diego, CA pays 43% 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: $98.0 in San Diego, CA vs $79.0 in Cedar City, UT. Groceries flip the comparison at $475 vs $481, with San Diego, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 Cedar City, UT

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

19:45 7:45 PM

1 h ahead of San Diego, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,386,932

28,857

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Diego, CA Cedar City, UT 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Diego, CA
Cedar City, UT

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 Cedar City, UT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cedar City, UT is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, utilities, and leisure. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 43% higher in San Diego, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,210 in San Diego, CA versus $1,043 in Cedar City, UT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cedar City, UT – 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.

A monthly transit pass in Cedar City, UT runs roughly 82% less than in San Diego, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,279 in Cedar City, UT versus $4,077 in San Diego, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cedar City, UT but tight or insufficient in San Diego, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Cedar City, UT the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cedar City, UT is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in San Diego, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, San Diego, CA and Cedar City, UT 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 Cedar City, UT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in San Diego, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.