01 · the cities
San Francisco
San Francisco is hills, fog, Mission burritos the size of forearms, and pastel Victorians stacked like dominoes. Karl the Fog has his own Instagram, the cable cars are still mechanically pulled by cables running under the street, and the Pacific shows up at the end of every west-bound avenue. The food is wildly good, the views are theatrical, and yes, you'll get cardio just walking to the corner store.
full dispatch→San Diego
San Diego is the city most Californians secretly wish they lived in: 70°F, sunny, and a beach for every mood. Fish tacos are religion, Balboa Park is bigger than Central Park and packed with museums, and the craft beer scene is one of the best in the country. The zoo is world-famous and the burritos are aggressively underrated. Even the freeways feel relaxed here.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,146/mo
$2,890/mo
$256/mo less than San Francisco (9%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.2M
$1.0M
$228k less than San Francisco
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
9.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,412/mo
$4,668/mo
San Diego has $256/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
312 days
332 days
20 more than San Francisco
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
San Diego edges ahead on pleasant days, but both cities have comparable comfort overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
83 / 100
75 / 100
8.0 pts behind San Francisco
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
111 routes
55 routes
56 fewer direct routes than San Francisco
Metro size
Metro size
4.6M metro
3.3M metro
San Francisco has 1.5x more events per month than San Diego.
the verdict
2
San Francisco
categories won
4
San Diego
categories won
San Diego wins on money and weather. San Francisco has the edge on lifestyle.
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