Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Diego, CA and Newark, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Newark, NJ: $3,069 a month against $4,012 in San Diego, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 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
149

Cost of Living Index in Newark, NJ
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Newark, NJ Living Index

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San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,012

/mo nomad

Newark, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,069

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,012 in San Diego, CA versus $3,069 in Newark, NJ.

San Diego, CA $4,012
Newark, NJ $3,069

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,068 in San Diego, CA versus $4,584 in Newark, NJ.

San Diego, CA $6,068
Newark, NJ $4,584

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,123 in San Diego, CA versus $6,098 in Newark, NJ.

San Diego, CA $8,123
Newark, NJ $6,098

Living in San Diego, CA is roughly 31% more expensive than in Newark, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Diego, CA 196% above, Newark, NJ 127% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.72 $24.72

$20.21 $20.21

22.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$98.7 $98.7

2.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.63 $14.63

$14.21 $14.21

2.96%

Cappuccino

$5.89 $5.89

$6.36 $6.36

-7.39%

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

$3.11 $3.11

$3.73 $3.73

-16.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.47 $2.47

11.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.10 $8.10

$7.98 $7.98

1.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$9.97 $9.97

1.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.37 $1.37

-3.65%

White Bread (500g)

$5.63 $5.63

$4.51 $4.51

24.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$7.53 $7.53

-36.52%

Eggs

$6.71 $6.71

$5.90 $5.90

13.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 $17.10

$7.22 $7.22

136.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.85 $13.85

$17.30 $17.30

-19.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.43 $21.43

$19.10 $19.10

12.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$6.76 $6.76

-31.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.30 $2.30

-18.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.39 $6.39

-26.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$6.67 $6.67

-26.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.02 $4.02

-16.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$4.37 $4.37

-33.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.76 $2.76

-24.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.63 $2.63

-22.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.76 $11.76

$11.85 $11.85

-0.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.25 $16.25

$19.62 $19.62

-17.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.91 $1.91

21.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.73 $2.73

16.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$6.13 $6.13

-59.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.4 $73.4

$54.7 $54.7

34.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.03 $3.03

1.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.16 $2.16

-5.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.86 $27.86

$42.49 $42.49

-34.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.04 $1.04

53.85%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$27.3K $27.3K

8.49%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.01%

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

$252 $252

$213 $213

18.63%

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

$70.6 $70.6

$75.4 $75.4

-6.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.8 $80.8

$70.6 $70.6

14.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 $69.0

$29.52 $29.52

133.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.09 $24.09

$17.80 $17.80

35.34%

Cinema Ticket

$20.16 $20.16

$14.72 $14.72

36.96%

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

$1,950 $1,950

$2,129 $2,129

-8.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.7K $36.7K

$61.3K $61.3K

-40.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 $63.6

$60.4 $60.4

5.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 $55.9

$27.55 $27.55

102.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$121 $121

-6.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$138 $138

4.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,207 $3,207

$2,577 $2,577

24.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,360 $2,360

$1,535 $1,535

53.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,381 $5,381

$4,332 $4,332

24.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,426 $4,426

$2,608 $2,608

69.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,234 $8,234

$5,702 $5,702

44.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,506 $6,506

$5,577 $5,577

16.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,039 $5,039

$3,568 $3,568

41.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.68

1.05%

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 Newark, NJ: 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%

Newark, NJ

$1.5K 50% 35% $825

Groceries & Markets

San Diego, CA

$477 11.9%

Newark, NJ

$502 16.4% 5.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Diego, CA

$404 10.1%

Newark, NJ

$359 11.7% 11.1% $45

Eating Out

San Diego, CA

$396 9.9%

Newark, NJ

$365 11.9% 7.9% $31

Clothing & Footwear

San Diego, CA

$169 4.2%

Newark, NJ

$156 5.1% 7.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

San Diego, CA

$109 2.7%

Newark, NJ

$59 1.9% 46.1% $50

Getting Around

San Diego, CA

$97 2.4%

Newark, NJ

$93 3% 3.6% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,207 in San Diego, CA and $2,577 in Newark, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Diego, CA pays 41% 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 $99.0 in Newark, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $477 vs $502, with San Diego, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 Newark, NJ

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

3 h ahead of San Diego, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,386,932

311,549

💱 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 Newark, NJ 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Diego, CA
Newark, NJ

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 Newark, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Newark, NJ is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 41% 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: $3,207 in San Diego, CA versus $2,577 in Newark, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Newark, NJ runs roughly 34% less than in San Diego, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,950 in San Diego, CA versus $2,129 in Newark, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Newark, NJ is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Newark, NJ 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 Newark, 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 Newark, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in San Diego, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.