Houston vs San Diego: Cost of Living
San Diego is about 13% more expensive than Houston, based on the BEA regional price parity index (U.S. average = 100): Houston at 98.629, San Diego at 111.887.
Cost of living (U.S. avg 100)
Houston: 98.629
Cost of living (U.S. avg 100)
San Diego: 111.887
Salary parity ($100K in Houston)
$113K in San Diego
If you earn $100K in Houston, you would need about $113K in San Diego to keep the same standard of living (price levels only; taxes on your specific income are separate).
Rents: the biggest difference
Houston
Rent price parity: 104.51 (U.S. average = 100)
San Diego
Rent price parity: 179.267 (U.S. average = 100)
What common jobs pay in each city (after tax)
| Occupation | Median (Houston) | Take-home (Houston) | Median (San Diego) | Take-home (San Diego) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | $129K | $100K | $163K | $112K |
| Data Scientist | $107K | $84K | $131K | $93K |
| Registered Nurse | $100K | $79K | $140K | $98K |
| Accountant | $85K | $69K | $96K | $72K |
| Mechanical Engineer | $125K | $97K | $122K | $87K |
| Marketing Manager | $153K | $116K | $175K | $119K |
| Electrician | $59K | $50K | $76K | $59K |
| Elementary School Teacher | $65K | $54K | $97K | $72K |
| Police Officer | $75K | $61K | $110K | $80K |
| Chef | $45K | $39K | $61K | $49K |
| Financial Analyst | $102K | $80K | $106K | $78K |
| Civil Engineer | $101K | $80K | $109K | $79K |
| Pharmacist | - | - | - | - |
| Physical Therapist | - | - | - | - |
| Dental Hygienist | - | - | - | - |
| Web Developer | - | - | - | - |
| Graphic Designer | - | - | - | - |
| Paralegal | $63K | $53K | $76K | $59K |
| Plumber | - | - | - | - |
| HVAC Technician | $59K | $50K | $75K | $59K |
Taxes at a glance
Take-home assumes a single filer using the standard deduction. Houston (Texas state tax), San Diego (California state tax). A $100K salary nets about $79K in Houston vs $74K in San Diego. Full assumptions: methodology.