Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in San Diego, California
A $849,000 home here costs
$6,043per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $4,365. The real number is $1,678 higher every month — 38% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
San Diego against San Diego County and California
| Measure | San Diego | San Diego County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $848,500 | $791,600 |
| Median property tax | $5,658 | $5,542 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.667% | 0.700% |
| Median gross rent | $2,223 | $2,154 |
| Population | 1,385,061 | 3,282,782 |
The weather behind that power bill
San Diego sits in San Diego County, which averages a high of 90.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 35.6°F in its coldest, with 14.65" of precipitation a year and 62% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 957 cooling and 2,329 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for San Diego County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in San Diego County
Full San Diego County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in San Diego?
A $849,000 home in San Diego, California costs approximately $6,043 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $4,365 principal and interest, $472 property tax, $132 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $708 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in San Diego?
San Diego has an effective property tax rate of 0.667%, based on a median home value of $848,500 and median real estate taxes of $5,658. That is lower than the San Diego County average of 0.700%.
What is the average home price in San Diego?
The median owner-occupied home value in San Diego, California is $848,500, against $791,600 across San Diego County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in San Diego?
Median gross rent in San Diego is $2,223 a month, against $6,043 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for San Diego — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for California.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.