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San Diego
#26 of 124
North America

San Diego

CA, United States

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in San Diego compare to Los Angeles?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in San Diego is 7% better off vs in Los Angeles

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in San Diego compared to Los Angeles, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$188,600
+$16K (+9%) vs Los Angeles
Based on 770 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$117,309
+$10K (+9%) vs Los Angeles
Tax Rate: 38%

Community Insights

New
8.2/10

San Diego offers a compelling alternative to traditional tech hubs for software engineers who prioritize lifestyle over the rat race. While the data shows exceptional median salaries ($188k+), local sentiment on Reddit frequently highlights the "Sunshine Tax"—the trade-off of high living costs (especially housing and utilities) for perfect weather. The tech scene is unique, leaning heavily into defense, biotech, and hardware, which provides different career stability compared to the volatile startup ecosystem of Silicon Valley. Current residents generally express high satisfaction with their day-to-day life, praising the chill culture and outdoor access, but warn newcomers about the shock of housing prices and the necessity of owning a car.

The Good

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to Los Angeles.

Rankings

Comfortable Weather

Top 1%

#1

of 124 cities

100/100 weather score

Current value

Net Income

Top 7%

#9

of 124 cities

$117,309/yr

Current value

Purchasing Power

Top 21%

#26

of 124 cities

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in San Diego compared to Los Angeles?

Avg. Property Price
$7,359 / m²
similar to Los Angeles
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in San Diego to maintain the same standard of living.

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Cost of Living
2% more expensive than Los Angeles
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in San Diego

Google logo
Google
Apple logo
Apple
Qualcomm logo
Qualcomm
Laid-back work culture: Significantly less pressure and "hustle" mentality compared to the Bay Area or NYC; engineers report better work-life balance.
  • Diverse tech sectors: Strong presence of Defense (Northrop Grumman, General Atomics), Biotech (Illumina), and Hardware/Telecommunications (Qualcomm), offering stability outside typical SaaS volatility.
  • Unbeatable weather: Consistent mild temperatures and sunshine allow for year-round outdoor activities, often cited as the primary reason for staying.
  • Lifestyle perks: Access to world-class beaches, hiking, and a renowned craft beer scene creates a high quality of daily life.
  • Top-tier salary potential: While historically lower than SF, recent data suggests median salaries have risen significantly, offering high purchasing power despite the cost of living.

    • The Bad

    • High Cost of Living: Ranked near the bottom for affordability (#115), with residents frequently complaining about "California prices" for gas, groceries, and services.
    • Housing Market Crisis: Extremely high rent and purchase prices make homeownership difficult even for high earners; buying an apartment takes over 5 years of net salary.
    • The "Sunshine Tax": A common sentiment that employers offer slightly lower compensation packages justifying it with the location's desirability.
    • SDGE / Utility Costs: One of the most common specific complaints on Reddit is the exorbitant cost of electricity, often cited as the highest in the nation.
    • Car Dependency: Public transportation is viewed as inadequate for most commuters; traffic is a major daily frustration and a car is essentially mandatory.

    Moving Here

    Hard

    Relocation is straightforward for US citizens but presents significant hurdles for foreigners due to strict US immigration policies. There are no specific digital nomad visas; reliable work permits (like H-1B) are competitive and tied to employment. Culturally, the city is extremely open and diverse, with a massive expat community and English being the only language needed for work and social life. However, the administrative burden of moving to the US (SSN, credit history, visa sponsorship) makes the logistics complex.

    Who Is This City For?

    Senior engineers seeking stability and work-life balance, professionals in defense, aerospace, or biotech, and those who can afford the high entry costs to enjoy an active outdoor lifestyle. Avoid if you are a junior engineer relying on a high volume of job openings for rapid career growth or if you hope to live car-free.

    Updated 1/20/2026

    Weather10.0/10+11% vs Los Angeles
    Safety60+30%
    Pollution39-42%
    Events13-64%
    10.0/10TechCities weather score vs 9.0/10 in Los Angeles

    0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

    Weather snapshot

    Average High
    21°C(vs 24°C in Los Angeles)
    Average Low
    15°C(vs 14°C in Los Angeles)
    Sunshine Hours
    3,055h/yr-200h/yr(-6%)
    Hottest Month High
    25°C(vs 29°C in Los Angeles)
    Coldest Month Low
    10°C(vs 9°C in Los Angeles)
    Rainy Days
    29/yr(same as Los Angeles)

    Community & Quality

    San Diego community pulse

    San Diego has 13 Luma events listed.

    64% fewer events than Los Angeles.

    Community Events

    Top 23%

    #29

    of 124 cities

    13 events on luma

    Current value

    Home Affordability

    Top 29%

    #36

    of 124 cities

    ≈5 yrs to buy 80m²

    Current value

    Pollution Score

    Middle of the pack

    #45

    of 124 cities

    39.3/100

    Current value (lower is better)

    Safety Index

    Middle of the pack

    #51

    of 124 cities

    60.1/100

    Current value

    Tax Rate

    Bottom 16%

    #105

    of 124 cities

    38%

    Current value (lower is better)

    Cost of Living

    Bottom 7%

    #116

    of 124 cities

    79/100

    Current value (lower is better)

    SWE Affordability
    5.0 years
    0.4 years quicker than Los Angeles
    Muggy Days
    14/yr+9/yr(+188%)
    Cloud Cover
    25%(same as Los Angeles)