Want to live and work in San Diego?

San Diego is one of the most expensive cities in the United States. A one-bedroom apartment in central neighborhoods (Downtown, Hillcrest, North Park, Little Italy) runs between USD 2,200 and USD 2,700 per month. Near the beach (Pacific Beach, La Jolla, Mission Beach) it can reach USD 2,800 to USD 3,800. In more distant neighborhoods (Clairemont, Mira Mesa, Chula Vista, El Cajon), it drops to USD 1,800 to USD 2,200.

Grocery shopping at chains like Vons, Ralphs, Trader Joe's, and Sprouts is reasonable. Northgate González Market (Mexican) and 99 Ranch (Asian) are affordable options for fresh produce. A meal at a popular restaurant costs between USD 18 and USD 28. A carne asada burrito at a taco shop runs USD 9 to USD 12.

A car is practically essential. Gas follows California's high pattern (USD 5 to USD 6 per gallon). State income tax is progressive up to 13.3%. Those living near the border take advantage of Tijuana for dentists, pharmacies, and some cheaper food, crossing on foot at San Ysidro.

San Diego is the largest concentration of the US Navy on the West Coast, with bases in Coronado, North Island, and Point Loma, plus the Marine Corps in Miramar and Camp Pendleton. This employs tens of thousands in uniform, plus civilians in logistics, maintenance, engineering, and administration. Defense contractors like General Atomics, Northrop Grumman, and SAIC have a strong presence.

The Torrey Pines corridor near La Jolla is one of the largest biotech clusters in the US, with Illumina, Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Thermo Fisher, and hundreds of pharmaceutical startups. Genomics, vaccines, and medical devices are strong suits. Technology has also grown, with Qualcomm (headquartered in Sorrento Valley), ServiceNow, ESET, and game studios like Sony Santa Monica nearby.

Tourism is significant, with SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo, the USS Midway Museum, beaches, and the cruise industry. Hospitals including UC San Diego Health, Sharp, and Scripps are major employers. The city's minimum wage is USD 16.85 per hour (2024). Software engineers earn USD 110,000 to USD 180,000; biotech technicians earn USD 60,000 to USD 90,000.

San Diego has a solid hospital network. Scripps Health, Sharp HealthCare, UC San Diego Health, and Rady Children's Hospital cover most of the city, with units in almost every major neighborhood. Kaiser Permanente is also strong. Hillcrest University Hospital and Sharp Memorial are references for emergency care and oncology.

The system runs on private health insurance, typically employer-provided. Without coverage, a basic walk-in clinic visit costs between USD 100 and USD 200. Those with low income may qualify for Medi-Cal (the state's free program). Community clinics like Family Health Centers of San Diego charge on a sliding scale.

Proximity to Tijuana opens an alternative: many San Diego residents cross the border for dental care, ophthalmology, pharmacy needs, and lower-risk procedures at one-third of the price. This has become so common it is known as medical tourism. For emergencies, every hospital in San Diego is required to provide care regardless of ability to pay.

San Diego is a car city, but it has better public transit than most of the West Coast outside LA and SF. The San Diego Trolley (operated by MTS) is a light rail system with the Blue Line (downtown to the San Ysidro border), Orange Line (downtown to El Cajon), Green Line (Mission Valley and SDSU), and the new Mid-Coast extension (to UTC and UCSD). It is affordable and functional.

MTS buses cover the rest. In neighborhoods like Downtown, Hillcrest, North Park, Little Italy, and areas near SDSU, living without a car is possible with some effort. In Pacific Beach, La Jolla, North County (Carlsbad, Encinitas), or Mira Mesa, a car is practically required. The Coaster is a commuter rail linking Oceanside to Downtown.

San Diego International Airport (SAN) is right next to downtown, which is unusual. It has direct flights to Latin America (mainly Mexico), most major US cities, and Frankfurt. For the Tijuana border, there is the San Ysidro crossing on foot or by car, and the CBX (cross-border bridge) that connects directly to Tijuana's airport.

San Diego's culture is laid-back and outdoors-oriented. Surf in Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Tourmaline, and Black's Beach. Kayaking and snorkeling at La Jolla Cove. Trails in Torrey Pines, Cowles Mountain, and Anza-Borrego Desert. Balboa Park in the center houses the San Diego Zoo (one of the world's best), 17 museums, and gardens.

The food scene is dominated by Mexican cuisine, in the Cali-Mex and Baja-Mex styles (heavy on fish and seafood). Fish tacos are iconic, popularized by Rubio's and refined at spots like Oscar's Mexican Seafood and TJ Oyster Bar. There is also a thriving craft brewery scene, with more than 150 craft breweries (Stone, Ballast Point, Modern Times, Pizza Port). Convoy Street is the local Asia Town, with Vietnamese pho, ramen, and dim sum.

The city has a cultural scene with the Old Globe Theatre, the San Diego Symphony, Comic-Con (the world's largest comics convention, in July), the Padres (baseball, at Petco Park), and the former Chargers (football, who moved to LA). Old Town connects to the Mexican and Spanish past, and the Gaslamp Quarter in downtown concentrates bars and restaurants.

San Diego has about 330,000 foreign-born residents, nearly a quarter of the city. The largest community comes from Mexico, with families established for generations in Barrio Logan, Sherman Heights, and San Ysidro, near the Tijuana border. The Filipino diaspora is the second largest, in Mira Mesa, Paradise Hills, and Chula Vista, linked to the long naval presence. In City Heights, known as a refugee gateway, Vietnamese, Somalis, Ethiopians, Iraqis, Cambodians, and the Karen community from Burma live side by side. Chinese and Koreans have grown in Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, and Linda Vista. Recent waves include Venezuelans, Ukrainians, and Haitians arriving through the southern border.

Legal and social support is robust. Casa Cornelia Law Center provides free representation in asylum and domestic violence cases. Jewish Family Service of San Diego coordinates reception of newcomers at the border. The International Rescue Committee San Diego has served resettled refugees since the 1970s, and the Karen Organization of San Diego accompanies Burmese families in City Heights. Alliance San Diego and the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium coordinate deportation defense and citizenship clinics. The Mexican Consulate General in San Diego is one of the busiest in the country, with daily documentation services and mobile consular outreach.