Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Diego, CA: $4,077 a month against $4,419 in San Mateo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

215

Cost of Living Index in San Mateo, CA
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San Mateo, CA Living Index
197

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

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San Mateo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,419

/mo nomad

San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,077

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Mateo, CA and in San Diego, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,419 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $4,077 in San Diego, CA, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $4,419
San Diego, CA $4,077

A couple spends around $6,644 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $6,059 in San Diego, CA, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $6,644
San Diego, CA $6,059

A family of three spends $8,868 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $8,041 in San Diego, CA, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $8,868
San Diego, CA $8,041

San Mateo, CA costs about 8% more than San Diego, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both San Mateo, CA and San Diego, CA sit above the global median – San Mateo, CA by 227%, San Diego, CA by 202%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 $19.81

$24.72 $24.72

-19.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$97.7 $97.7

0.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 $12.87

$13.25 $13.25

-2.87%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$5.96 $5.96

-7.05%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$3.12 $3.12

-1.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.62 $2.62

7.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 $8.31

$8.14 $8.14

2.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 $9.86

$11.11 $11.11

-11.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.37 $1.37

17.52%

White Bread (500g)

$5.96 $5.96

$5.58 $5.58

6.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$4.70 $4.70

27.23%

Eggs

$7.19 $7.19

$6.77 $6.77

6.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 $13.35

$17.12 $17.12

-22.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$14.30 $14.30

33.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.87 $19.87

$20.72 $20.72

-4.10%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.62 $4.62

31.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.86 $1.86

14.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$4.32 $4.32

-9.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.86 $8.86

$5.08 $5.08

74.41%

Potato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.11 $3.11

39.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.70 $2.70

12.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.12 $2.12

44.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.01 $2.01

-1.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 $11.94

$11.74 $11.74

1.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.53 $14.53

$16.72 $16.72

-13.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.16 $2.16

-21.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$3.20 $3.20

-39.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.99 $3.99

$2.47 $2.47

61.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 $97.1

$73.4 $73.4

32.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.99 $2.99

35.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.09 $2.09

-2.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.38 $28.38

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.55 $1.55

0.65%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$37.0K $37.0K

-0.45%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.6K $25.6K

1.45%

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

$267 $267

$256 $256

4.13%

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

$41.54 $41.54

$73.9 $73.9

-43.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 $62.4

$84.4 $84.4

-26.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 $109

$72.9 $72.9

49.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.40 $9.40

$24.09 $24.09

-60.98%

Cinema Ticket

$18.35 $18.35

$20.21 $20.21

-9.20%

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

$2,947 $2,947

$1,968 $1,968

49.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.8K $28.8K

$36.0K $36.0K

-19.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 $63.6

$68.4 $68.4

-7.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.52 $47.52

$54.7 $54.7

-13.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$114 $114

2.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$146 $146

-7.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,421 $3,421

$3,210 $3,210

6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,741 $2,741

$2,410 $2,410

13.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,944 $5,944

$5,499 $5,499

8.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,128 $5,128

$4,336 $4,336

18.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K $13.8K

$8,110 $8,110

70.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,907 $8,907

$6,682 $6,682

33.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,501 $7,501

$4,975 $4,975

50.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

6.7

-2.54%

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

Last update for San Mateo, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for San Diego, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Mateo, CA

$2.7K 62%

San Diego, CA

$2.4K 59.1% 12.1% $331

Groceries & Markets

San Mateo, CA

$523 11.8%

San Diego, CA

$475 11.7% 9% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Mateo, CA

$371 8.4%

San Diego, CA

$414 10.2% 11.8% $44

Eating Out

San Mateo, CA

$348 7.9%

San Diego, CA

$395 9.7% 13.3% $46

Clothing & Footwear

San Mateo, CA

$163 3.7%

San Diego, CA

$172 4.2% 5.7% $9.3

Sport & Entertainment

San Mateo, CA

$146 3.3%

San Diego, CA

$113 2.8% 22.2% $32

Getting Around

San Mateo, CA

$127 2.9%

San Diego, CA

$97 2.4% 24% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,421 in San Mateo, CA versus $3,210 in San Diego, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 51% higher in San Mateo, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in San Mateo, CA versus $98.0 in San Diego, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $523 in San Mateo, CA vs $475 in San Diego, CA – so San Diego, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Mateo, CA

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🕒 Local time

15:36 3:36 PM

Same time as San Mateo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,536

1,386,932

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Mateo, CA San Diego, CA 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,419 in San Mateo, CA, $4,077 in San Diego, CA – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,628 per month in San Mateo, CA and $6,116 in San Diego, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Diego, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $2,947 per month in San Mateo, CA and $1,968 in San Diego, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in San Mateo, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$5,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,419 in San Mateo, CA and $4,077 in San Diego, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. San Diego, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $4,077 in San Diego, CA to $4,419 in San Mateo, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with San Diego, CA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Mateo, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.