Rent vs Buy in San Diego, CA

Should you rent or buy a home in San Diego? Use our calculator with local market data to make an informed decision.

Median Home Price
$875,000
Median Rent
$2,650/mo
Property Tax Rate
0.76%
Price-to-Rent Ratio
27.5x

Rent vs Buy in San Diego, California

Should you rent or buy a home? Calculate your best option.

Your Scenario

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$
%
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7 years
1 years30 years

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Adjust these sliders to see how different assumptions affect your decision.

Mortgage Rate7.00%
5%7%9%
Home Appreciation3.0%
0%3%5%
Rent Growth3.0%
0%3%6%
Time Horizon7 years
35710

💡 Tips

  • • Higher mortgage rates favor renting
  • • Higher home appreciation favors buying
  • • Higher rent growth favors buying
  • • Longer time horizons typically favor buying
🔑Renting is Better

You could save $107,753 by renting

Over 7 years

Monthly Cost (Rent)
$2,901
Average
Monthly Cost (Own)
$6,235
Average (excl. equity)
Total Rent Paid
$243,666
Total Owner Costs
$724,959
Final Equity
$373,539
After selling costs
Break-Even Year
Never
Beyond horizon

Upfront Costs to Buy

Down Payment (20%)$175,000
Closing Costs (3%)$26,250
Total Needed$201,250

Cost Comparison Over Time

$724,959$579,967$434,975$289,983$144,992$00y1y2y3y4y5y6y7y
Total Rent Paid
Total Owner Costs
Net Cost (After Equity)
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About Buying vs Renting in San Diego

The decision to rent or buy in San Diego, California depends on many factors including your financial situation, how long you plan to stay, and current market conditions.

With a median home price of $875,000 and median rent of $2,650 per month, San Diego has a price-to-rent ratio of 27.5. This relatively high ratio suggests renting may be more economical in the short term.

Use our calculator above to input your specific scenario and see a personalized analysis. Adjust the time horizon, mortgage rate, and other factors to explore different outcomes.