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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Phoenix skyline
Wikimedia Commons. Public domain. Photo source · License
San Diego skyline
Boatguy619. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License

Phoenix vs San Diego

$983/mo less in San Diego

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

PhoenixSan DiegoAbout 272 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • San Diego costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • 266 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $1,593/mo in San Diego. $2,576/mo in Phoenix. −$11,796 a year.

Phoenix

$2,576

left each month

San Diego

$1,593

−$983 vs Phoenix

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

San Diego wins 1 of 4Phoenix 3 · ties 0
$5,875Take-home · San Diego$6,232
$1,277Rent · Phoenix$2,292
$2,022Other bills · Phoenix$2,347
$2,576Left over · Phoenix$1,593

Next

In 2022-2023, 1,802 households moved Phoenix → San Diego (avg AGI $78,296). 2,671 went the other way. The whole move →

−$983 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthPhoenixSan Diego
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San Diego · this breakdownPhoenix · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Phoenix, AZ and San Diego, CA
Per monthPhoenixSan DiegoDifference
Gross pay$7,583$8,522+$938
Income and payroll tax$1,709$2,289+$580
Take-home pay$5,875$6,232+$358
Rent$1,277$2,292+$1,015
Getting around$586$650+$64
Groceries$396$468+$72
Healthcare$446$527+$81
Utilities$248$293+$45
Everything else$347$410+$63
Left over$2,576$1,593−$983

Salary to match Phoenix

$121,500

Gross pay in San Diego that leaves the same amount as $91,000 in Phoenix.

Tax difference

−$3,627

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 22.5% in Phoenix, 26.9% in San Diego.

More about San Diego

Phoenix, AZ in full

A 2.5% flat income tax, cheap housing for a big metro, and a genuinely dangerous July.

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 → Phoenix →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in San Diego than Phoenix?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, San Diego leaves about $983 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,277 in Phoenix 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 Phoenix 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 Phoenix 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.