2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
San Diego, CA vs Tucson, AZ

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Tucson or is it cheaper to live in San Diego?
- Tucson is 37.4% less expensive than San Diego.

Which city has more affordable housing, Tucson or San Diego?
- Tucson housing costs are 66.5% less expensive than San Diego housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in San Diego or is Health Care more affordable in Tucson.
- Health related expenses are 4.0% less in Tucson.
 San Diego, CATucson, AZUnited States
 Overall  Unlock97.0100
 Food & Groceries109.7  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock85.4100
 Housing278.4  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$303,400$338,100
 Utilities103  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock96.6100
 Miscellaneous153.9  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for San Diego    319 Reviews

I have lived in San Diego for more than half my life (I am 30) and love it. It has something for everyone and more from arts, to sporting events, and all cuisine is  More

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The only real knock again San Diego is the cost of living, but it is paradise compared to most cities of similar size. Those who complain about the traffic here or say  More

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I have lived in San Diego since 1968 and I am now almost 62 years old. I love San Diego, I really do. But it has become so crowded and so expensive over the years. It  More

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Reviews for Tucson    287 Reviews

My wife and I characterize ourselves as a young couple, well educated, with decent positions and we’re Tucson natives. We’ve observed our quality of life from both a  More

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Over 1 years ago

I was reading the reviews for Tucson, and after living there for 6 years, I feel the need to weigh in. There are many pros in Tucson: access to recreational areas,  More

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I spend considerable time in and around Tucson, and I've see it rapidly going "downhill" since 2020. It's definitely not the nice town I remember from when I was a  More

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