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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,941 in San Diego, CA versus $3,473 in Salem, MA.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,819 in San Diego, CA versus $4,781 in Salem, MA.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,696 in San Diego, CA versus $6,090 in Salem, MA.

Living in San Diego, CA is roughly 13% more expensive than Salem, MA, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Diego, CA 194% above, Salem, MA 159% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.56 $22.56

$25.10 $25.10

-10.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$98.2 $98.2

2.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.80 $14.80

$11.04 $11.04

34.06%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$5.10 $5.10

13.14%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$2.44 $2.44

25.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.13 $2.13

16.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 $7.78

$8.12 $8.12

-4.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$6.97 $6.97

25.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.22 $1.22

1.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.56 $4.56

$4.37 $4.37

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$8.72 $8.72

-49.20%

Eggs

$5.17 $5.17

$4.42 $4.42

16.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 $13.26

$14.19 $14.19

-6.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.64 $12.64

$14.25 $14.25

-11.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 $18.40

$8.70 $8.70

111.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.53 $4.53

5.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.33 $1.33

24.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.35 $3.35

21.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$4.79 $4.79

-2.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$4.29 $4.29

-27.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.37 $2.37

4.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.54 $2.54

-10.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.43 $3.43

-27.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.09 $12.09

$9.53 $9.53

26.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$12.89 $12.89

18.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$6.90 $6.90

-64.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.45 $2.45

4.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 $72.9

$54.6 $54.6

33.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.49 $3.49

-15.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.58 $1.58

26.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.75 $27.75

$29.22 $29.22

-5.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.07 $1.07

21.50%

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

$30.4K $30.4K

$29.8K $29.8K

2.00%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$26.0K $26.0K

6.01%

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

$270 $270

$169 $169

59.33%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$91.3 $91.3

-25.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.0 $79.0

$82.3 $82.3

-4.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.7 $66.7

$42.44 $42.44

57.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.14 $25.14

Cinema Ticket

$15.85 $15.85

$14.89 $14.89

6.45%

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

$1,603 $1,603

$1,299 $1,299

23.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K $28.5K

$23.8K $23.8K

19.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 $58.7

$71.4 $71.4

-17.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 $57.3

$58.4 $58.4

-1.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 $98.9

$97.9 $97.9

1.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$98.6 $98.6

15.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,859 $2,859

$2,360 $2,360

21.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,342 $2,342

$1,944 $1,944

20.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,920 $4,920

$3,832 $3,832

28.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,083 $4,083

$2,855 $2,855

42.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,677 $8,677

$2,731 $2,731

217.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,924 $6,924

$2,387 $2,387

190.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,314 $5,314

$9,570 $9,570

-44.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.51

-1.84%

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

Last update for San Diego, CA: April 28, 2026

Last update for Salem, MA: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,859 in San Diego, CA and $2,360 in Salem, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salem, MA pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in San Diego, CA vs $98.0 in Salem, MA. Groceries flip the comparison at $425 vs $434, with San Diego, CA cheaper for home cooking.

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 13% 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, Salem, MA earns 80% less. 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: $2,859 in San Diego, CA versus $2,360 in Salem, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,603 in San Diego, CA versus $1,299 in Salem, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in San Diego, CA pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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 work as nomad bases, but Salem, MA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,473 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Salem, MA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Diego, CA and Salem, MA 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 Salem, MA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in San Diego, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.