Last update: Oct 2026

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

197

Cost of Living Index in San Diego, CA
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San Diego, CA Living Index
151

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

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San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,077

/mo nomad

Concord, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,079

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Concord, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in San Diego, CA is roughly 32% more expensive than in Concord, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.72 $24.72

$24.98 $24.98

-1.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.7 $97.7

$79.0 $79.0

23.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 $13.25

$15.14 $15.14

-12.48%

Cappuccino

$5.96 $5.96

$5.98 $5.98

-0.33%

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

$3.12 $3.12

$3.27 $3.27

-4.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$9.03 $9.03

-9.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.11 $11.11

$8.23 $8.23

34.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.32 $1.32

3.79%

White Bread (500g)

$5.58 $5.58

$4.33 $4.33

28.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

Eggs

$6.77 $6.77

$5.53 $5.53

22.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.12 $17.12

$24.74 $24.74

-30.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.30 $14.30

$11.65 $11.65

22.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.72 $20.72

$13.28 $13.28

56.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$5.39 $5.39

-14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.54 $2.54

-26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.76 $4.76

-9.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$5.88 $5.88

-13.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.40 $3.40

-8.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$3.85 $3.85

-29.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.46 $2.46

-13.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.63 $2.63

-23.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.74 $11.74

$7.56 $7.56

55.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.72 $16.72

$12.82 $12.82

30.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.98 $1.98

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.47 $2.47

29.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.49 $2.49

-0.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.4 $73.4

$59.4 $59.4

23.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.47 $3.47

-13.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.91 $1.91

9.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.38 $28.38

$39.88 $39.88

-28.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.47 $1.47

5.44%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$30.2K $30.2K

22.69%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.5K $26.5K

-3.43%

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

$256 $256

$139 $139

84.21%

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

$73.9 $73.9

$43.06 $43.06

71.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.4 $84.4

$63.6 $63.6

32.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 $72.9

$98.4 $98.4

-26.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.09 $24.09

Cinema Ticket

$20.21 $20.21

$14.83 $14.83

36.28%

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

$1,968 $1,968

$2,270 $2,270

-13.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.0K $36.0K

$24.0K $24.0K

49.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 $68.4

$51.5 $51.5

32.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.7 $54.7

$40.78 $40.78

34.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$73.9 $73.9

54.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 $146

$61.0 $61.0

139.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,210 $3,210

$2,315 $2,315

38.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,410 $2,410

$1,658 $1,658

45.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,499 $5,499

$3,534 $3,534

55.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,336 $4,336

$2,968 $2,968

46.09%

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)

$4,975 $4,975

$4,847 $4,847

2.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

6.66

0.60%

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 Concord, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Diego, CA

$2.4K 59.1%

Concord, CA

$1.7K 53.9% 31.2% $752

Groceries & Markets

San Diego, CA

$475 11.7%

Concord, CA

$460 14.9% 3.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Diego, CA

$414 10.2%

Concord, CA

$246 8% 40.7% $169

Eating Out

San Diego, CA

$395 9.7%

Concord, CA

$402 13.1% 1.9% $7.4

Clothing & Footwear

San Diego, CA

$172 4.2%

Concord, CA

$102 3.3% 40.7% $70

Sport & Entertainment

San Diego, CA

$113 2.8%

Concord, CA

$128 4.2% 13.1% $15

Getting Around

San Diego, CA

$97 2.4%

Concord, CA

$82 2.7% 14.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,210 in San Diego, CA and $2,315 in Concord, 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: $98.0 in San Diego, CA vs $79.0 in Concord, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $475 vs $460 per month, with Concord, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 Concord, CA

🕒 Local time

12:14 12:14 PM

Same time as San Diego, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,386,932

42,695

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

From you

San Diego, CA
Concord, 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

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

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

Average pay runs 3% 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 $2,315 in Concord, 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 $4,077 per month in San Diego, CA versus $3,079 in Concord, 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, San Diego, CA and Concord, 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.