Last update: Oct 2026

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

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

193

Cost of Living Index in San Diego, CA
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San Diego, CA Living Index
190

Cost of Living Index in Fairfield, CA
Learn more

Fairfield, CA Living Index

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San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,055

/mo nomad

Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.13 $30.13

$21.62 $21.62

39.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$88.7 $88.7

12.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.12 $15.12

$12.01 $12.01

25.90%

Cappuccino

$6.05 $6.05

$6.94 $6.94

-12.82%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$3.49 $3.49

-8.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.02 $2.02

33.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.98 $7.98

1.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.89 $9.89

$7.16 $7.16

38.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.41 $1.41

-3.55%

White Bread (500g)

$5.74 $5.74

$4.42 $4.42

29.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.68 $4.68

0.21%

Eggs

$6.97 $6.97

$5.54 $5.54

25.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.46 $17.46

$14.08 $14.08

24.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.91 $13.91

$15.20 $15.20

-8.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.16 $21.16

$17.77 $17.77

19.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$6.11 $6.11

-24.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.59 $2.59

-29.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$6.35 $6.35

-24.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$6.60 $6.60

-25.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.89 $3.89

-9.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.54 $3.54

-22.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.33 $2.33

-10.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.06 $2.06

-2.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.59 $11.59

$11.87 $11.87

-2.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.02 $16.02

$10.18 $10.18

57.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.11 $2.11

4.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.12 $2.12

53.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.96 $1.96

27.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.7 $71.7

$87.1 $87.1

-17.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.95 $2.95

32.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.95 $1.95

37.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.68 $27.68

$29.14 $29.14

-5.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.43 $1.43

11.89%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$28.2K $28.2K

5.99%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.94%

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

$245 $245

$193 $193

27.01%

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

$72.9 $72.9

$48.25 $48.25

51.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.8 $78.8

$72.9 $72.9

8.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.1 $62.1

$125 $125

-50.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.29 $23.29

$73.7 $73.7

-68.40%

Cinema Ticket

$20.29 $20.29

$14.61 $14.61

38.88%

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

$1,910 $1,910

$1,293 $1,293

47.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.5K $37.5K

$22.3K $22.3K

67.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 $63.1

$51.1 $51.1

23.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 $55.8

$37.08 $37.08

50.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$107 $107

7.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$112 $112

25.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,396 $3,396

$2,396 $2,396

41.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 $2,367

$2,432 $2,432

-2.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,617 $5,617

$3,100 $3,100

81.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,604 $4,604

$2,967 $2,967

55.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,975 $7,975

$3,719 $3,719

114.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,346 $6,346

$3,665 $3,665

73.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,018 $5,018

$4,749 $4,749

5.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.48

5.86%

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

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

Last update for Fairfield, CA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Diego, CA

$2.4K 58.4%

Fairfield, CA

$2.4K 61.1% 2.7% $65

Groceries & Markets

San Diego, CA

$479 11.8%

Fairfield, CA

$463 11.7% 3.3% $16

Eating Out

San Diego, CA

$443 10.9%

Fairfield, CA

$369 9.3% 16.8% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Diego, CA

$396 9.8%

Fairfield, CA

$314 7.9% 20.8% $83

Clothing & Footwear

San Diego, CA

$169 4.2%

Fairfield, CA

$138 3.5% 18% $30

Sport & Entertainment

San Diego, CA

$103 2.5%

Fairfield, CA

$155 3.9% 50.4% $52

Getting Around

San Diego, CA

$99 2.4%

Fairfield, CA

$108 2.7% 8.7% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,396 in San Diego, CA and $2,396 in Fairfield, 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: $100 in San Diego, CA vs $89 in Fairfield, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $479 vs $463 per month, with Fairfield, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CA

🕒 Local time

20:06 8:06 PM

Same time as San Diego, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,386,932

117,133

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

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

Average pay runs 6% 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: $3,396 in San Diego, CA versus $2,396 in Fairfield, 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.