Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Diego, CA and Salem, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Salem, MA: $3,554 a month against $3,973 in San Diego, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

192

Cost of Living Index in San Diego, CA
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San Diego, CA Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Salem, MA
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Salem, MA Living Index

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San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,973

/mo nomad

Salem, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Salem, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,973 in San Diego, CA versus $3,554 in Salem, MA.

San Diego, CA $3,973
Salem, MA $3,554

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,053 in San Diego, CA versus $4,918 in Salem, MA.

San Diego, CA $6,053
Salem, MA $4,918

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,133 in San Diego, CA versus $6,282 in Salem, MA.

San Diego, CA $8,133
Salem, MA $6,282

Living in San Diego, CA is roughly 12% more expensive than in Salem, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Diego, CA 192% above, Salem, MA 161% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.35 $27.35

$25.21 $25.21

8.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 $99.2

$101 $101

-1.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.82 $14.82

$10.89 $10.89

36.09%

Cappuccino

$5.96 $5.96

$4.95 $4.95

20.40%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.48 $2.48

30.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.13 $2.13

24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$7.90 $7.90

-1.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.04 $10.04

$7.01 $7.01

43.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.26 $1.26

0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.61 $3.61

50.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$4.43 $4.43

11.29%

Eggs

$6.67 $6.67

$4.43 $4.43

50.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.13 $17.13

$12.51 $12.51

36.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.29 $14.29

$11.34 $11.34

26.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.91 $21.91

$16.95 $16.95

29.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$4.71 $4.71

-0.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.58 $1.58

13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.40 $4.40

8.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$4.68 $4.68

6.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.79 $2.79

25.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.93 $2.93

-4.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.51 $2.51

-15.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.20 $2.20

-3.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 $11.90

$9.56 $9.56

24.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 $15.70

$15.25 $15.25

2.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.22 $2.22

1.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.35 $3.35

-3.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.24 $2.24

8.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.3 $73.3

$59.6 $59.6

22.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.47 $3.47

-14.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.78 $1.78

19.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.44 $27.44

$26.75 $26.75

2.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.88 $0.88

77.27%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$24.5K $24.5K

21.68%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$22.9K $22.9K

15.40%

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

$251 $251

$193 $193

30.16%

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

$70.0 $70.0

$58.4 $58.4

19.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.6 $82.6

$65.7 $65.7

25.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 $61.3

$42.42 $42.42

44.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.94 $22.94

Cinema Ticket

$19.71 $19.71

$14.78 $14.78

33.36%

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

$1,888 $1,888

$1,423 $1,423

32.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.6K $35.6K

$21.9K $21.9K

62.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.9 $64.9

$85.3 $85.3

-24.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 $56.4

$57.1 $57.1

-1.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$97.7 $97.7

18.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$98.3 $98.3

44.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,324 $3,324

$2,353 $2,353

41.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,304 $2,304

$2,164 $2,164

6.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,433 $5,433

$3,963 $3,963

37.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,405 $4,405

$3,088 $3,088

42.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,002 $8,002

$2,802 $2,802

185.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,558 $6,558

$2,303 $2,303

184.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,165 $5,165

$9,667 $9,667

-46.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.57

2.74%

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

Last update for San Diego, CA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Salem, MA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Diego, CA

$2.3K 58%

Salem, MA

$2.2K 60.9% 6.1% $140

Groceries & Markets

San Diego, CA

$480 12.1%

Salem, MA

$402 11.3% 16.1% $77

Eating Out

San Diego, CA

$417 10.5%

Salem, MA

$366 10.3% 12.4% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Diego, CA

$404 10.2%

Salem, MA

$317 8.9% 21.5% $87

Clothing & Footwear

San Diego, CA

$171 4.3%

Salem, MA

$152 4.3% 10.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

San Diego, CA

$101 2.5%

Salem, MA

$72 2% 28.5% $29

Getting Around

San Diego, CA

$97 2.4%

Salem, MA

$81 2.3% 16.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,324 in San Diego, CA and $2,353 in Salem, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salem, MA pays 87% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $99 in San Diego, CA vs $101 in Salem, MA. Groceries flip the comparison at $480 vs $402, with Salem, MA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 Salem, MA

🕒 Local time

23:38 11:38 PM

02:38 2:38 AM

3 h ahead of San Diego, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,386,932

155,469

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Diego, CA Salem, MA 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Diego, CA
Salem, MA

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 Salem, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salem, MA wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in San Diego, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Salem, MA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 47% lower in San Diego, CA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,324 in San Diego, CA versus $2,353 in Salem, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,888 in San Diego, CA versus $1,423 in Salem, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Salem, MA runs roughly 19% less than in San Diego, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Salem, MA 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 Salem, MA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.