How much is rent in San Diego, CA?

The median 2-bedroom in San Diego rents for $2,483 a month with utilities, $920 more than the US median. A 1-bedroom runs $2,148 and a 3-bedroom $3,056.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.

$2,4832-bedroom¹US: $1,563
$2,1481-bedroom¹US: $1,362
$99,320Income for a 2-bed at 30%²A year
27%Share of typical income³For a 2-bedroom

Rent in San Diego by number of bedrooms

Median rent, utilities included, next to the US median.¹

Studio$1,858/mo
San Diego
$1,858
US
$1,365
Income to keep it at 30%: $74,320²
1 bedroom$2,148/mo
San Diego
$2,148
US
$1,362
Income to keep it at 30%: $85,920²
2 bedrooms$2,483/mo
San Diego
$2,483
US
$1,563
Income to keep it at 30%: $99,320²
3 bedrooms$3,056/mo
San Diego
$3,056
US
$1,760
Income to keep it at 30%: $122,240²
4 bedrooms$3,500+/mo
San Diego
$3,500+
US
$2,153
Income to keep it at 30%: over $140,000²

Work out what rent you can afford · Full cost of living in San Diego

Where rent costs less than San Diego

54 of the cities we cover have a lower median 2-bedroom rent. The cheapest and the closest:¹

City	2-bedroom rent	Less than San Diego
Paducah, KY	$886	$1,597/mo
Terre Haute, IN	$901	$1,582/mo
Muncie, IN	$919	$1,564/mo
Orlando, FL	$1,855	$628/mo
Tampa, FL	$1,861	$622/mo
Sarasota, FL	$1,975	$508/mo

Rent in San Diego: questions people ask

How much is rent in San Diego?

Median rent with utilities, all units: $2,416 a month. By size: studio $1,858, 1 bedroom $2,148, 2 bedrooms $2,483, 3 bedrooms $3,056, 4 bedrooms $3,500+ (Census ACS, 2025).

How much do you need to make to afford rent in San Diego?

To keep a 2-bedroom at 30% of income, about $99,320 a year. For a 1-bedroom, $85,920.

What share of income goes to rent in San Diego?

A year of median 2-bedroom rent equals 27% of the median household income of $110,941 (Census ACS, 2025).

Where is rent cheaper than San Diego?

Of the cities we cover, Paducah, KY ($886), Terre Haute, IN ($901), Muncie, IN ($919) have the lowest median 2-bedroom rent.

Rent elsewhere in California

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Notes on the numbers

1Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table B25031, median gross rent by number of bedrooms (rent plus utilities the renter pays), 2025. Covers all renters, including long-time tenants, so new leases often cost more. $3,500+ is the highest figure the Census publishes. Census table
2Income to keep rent at 30%: a year of rent divided by 0.3, the common rule of thumb. Our arithmetic.
3Household income: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table B19013, median household income, 2025. Census table

Sources for this page