

Las Vegas vs San Diego
$967/mo less in San Diego
Las VegasSan DiegoAbout 242 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- San Diego costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 266 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $1,582/mo in San Diego. $2,549/mo in Las Vegas. −$11,604 a year.
Las Vegas
$2,549
left each month
San Diego
$1,582
−$967 vs Las Vegas
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 1,125 households moved Las Vegas → San Diego (avg AGI $87,468). 1,808 went the other way. The whole move →
−$967 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Las Vegas | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,333 | $8,504 | +$1,170 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,476 | $2,282 | +$807 |
| Take-home pay | $5,858 | $6,221 | +$364 |
| Rent | $1,267 | $2,292 | +$1,025 |
| Getting around | $592 | $650 | +$58 |
| Groceries | $400 | $468 | +$68 |
| Healthcare | $450 | $527 | +$77 |
| Utilities | $250 | $293 | +$43 |
| Everything else | $350 | $410 | +$60 |
| Left over | $2,549 | $1,582 | −$967 |
Salary to match Las Vegas
$121,000
Gross pay in San Diego that leaves the same amount as $88,000 in Las Vegas.
Tax difference
−$5,517
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 20.1% in Las Vegas, 26.8% in San Diego.
More about San Diego
Las Vegas, NV in full
No income tax, low property tax, and an economy tied to tourism.
San Diego, CA in full
The best climate in the country and rents that know it.
The other way
Start in San Diego.
San Diego → Las Vegas →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in San Diego than Las Vegas?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, San Diego leaves about $967 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,267 in Las Vegas and $2,292 in San Diego.
Does San Diego have state income tax?
San Diego is in California, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Las Vegas to San Diego?
The paycheck is taxed in California. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Las Vegas and San Diego changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.