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San Diego, CA for digital nomads
Beach city with the highest home prices on this list and a trolley that covers the core.
As of October 2026, a 1-bedroom near downtown San Diego runs $2,660 a month on HUD's FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rent, against $2,335 across the whole metro area, which includes the far-out and less walkable parts. The downtown walkability index is 15.5 out of 20 (most walkable), 7% of households get by with no car, and the fastest advertised home internet is 5 Gbps from AT&T. An entire-home Airbnb has a median of $296 a night. The city has 80 open breweries.
- 1-bed near downtown
- $2,660HUD FY2027, utilities in
- 1-bed metro-wide
- $2,335HUD, whole metro
- Walkability
- 15.5/20Most walkable
- No-car households
- 7%Car needed
- Fastest internet
- 5 GbpsAT&T
- Transit ride
- $3.00MTS
- Airbnb night
- $296median, entire home
- July high
- 75°FNOAA normal
- Breweries
- 80open, in city
Live in San Diego? Tell us what you pay and your number joins the resident figures below the housing section.
Walkability and internet in San Diego
| Provider | Type | Top speed | Addresses covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | Fiber | 5 Gbps | 82% |
| Spectrum (formerly Cox) | Cable and fiber | 2 Gbps | 40% |
Housing costs in San Diego
The headline number is HUD's Small Area Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom, utilities included, taken as the median of 9 ZIP codes within 2 miles of downtown: the same circle the walkability score covers, so the rent and the walkability describe the same place. The metro-wide figure is HUD's rent for the whole San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA, which is lower in most cities because it includes outlying areas. The Census figure is what current tenants pay inside the city limits.
What people in San Diego say they pay
A second opinion on the official figures, from readers who live here. Each number shows once three people have reported it, marked low confidence until there are five: the middle value of the last 12 months of reports, with the highest and lowest 10% set aside. Reports are stored as numbers only.
Food costs in San Diego
Burger and fries at local restaurants
| Restaurant | What was priced | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Crazee Burger (North Park) | Signature burger $11.00 + cheese $1.50 + Crazee Fries $5.00 | $17.50 |
| Rocky's Crown Pub | 1/3 lb cheeseburger $10.50 + fries $6.00 | $16.50 |
| Hodad's (Ocean Beach) | Single cheeseburger $13.00 + small French fry $11.25 (shareable, serves 3-4; smallest size offered) | $24.25 |
| Hayes Burger (Barrio Logan) * | Cheeseburger $11.00 + large fry $5.00 (only fry size seen; read in search result, Toast listing) | $16.00 |
| The Balboa Bar & Grill (Bankers Hill) | The Classic (1/3 lb, American cheese) $13.95 + small Salt and Pepper Fries $4.40 | $18.35 |
* Price read from a third-party menu or delivery page, which can run higher than in-store.
Cheese pizza at local pizzerias
| Pizzeria | What was priced | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Little Italy Pizzeria & Pasta | Large 16 inch mozzarella cheese pizza, 16 inch | $27.00 |
| Bronx Pizza (Hillcrest) | Cheese pizza, all pizzas are 18 inch, 8 slices (largest size; no 16 inch offered), 18 inch | $20.00 |
| Ocean's Pizzeria * | Red 16 inch cheese pizza, 16 inch | $20.99 |
| Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria | Thin & Crispy 16 inch cheese pizza, 16 inch | $22.00 |
| Sisters Pizza (Hillcrest) | Modest Mouse (red sauce, mozzarella, the plain pizza), 16 inch; 18 inch is $24, 16 inch | $20.00 |
* Price read from a third-party menu or delivery page, which can run higher than in-store.
Getting around San Diego without a car
| How residents get to work | Share |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 65% |
| Public transit | 2.6% |
| Walk | 3.8% |
| Bike | 0.6% |
| Work from home | 18% |
Source: Census ACS 2024 1-year, table B08301.
Weather in San Diego by month
30-year averages for 1991 to 2020 from the San Diego Lindbergh Fld weather station, 1.8 miles from downtown.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 66°F | 66°F | 67°F | 69°F | 70°F | 72°F | 75°F | 77°F | 77°F | 75°F | 71°F | 66°F |
| Average low | 50°F | 52°F | 55°F | 57°F | 60°F | 63°F | 66°F | 68°F | 66°F | 62°F | 55°F | 50°F |
| Rain, inches | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.7 |
Places to work in San Diego
Counts are within 2 miles of downtown.
Coworking spaces within 10 miles
| Coworking space | Address | Miles from downtown |
|---|---|---|
| WeWork | 600 B Street | 0.2 |
| Spaces | 845 15th Street | 0.6 |
| San Diego Made | 2031 Commercial Street | 1.2 |
| Cowork + Connect | 1223 Cleveland Avenue | 2.4 |
| You Belong Here | Address not mapped | 3.8 |
| SD CoLab | 4667 Mission Gorge Place | 6.1 |
Makerspaces and hackerspaces within 10 miles
| Makerspace | Address | Miles from downtown |
|---|---|---|
| Innovation Lab | Address not mapped | 0.6 |
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, read Oct 2026. Names link to the space's own website where one is mapped, otherwise to its map entry. Volunteers keep this map, so some spaces are missing; tell us about one and it can be added upstream.
Breweries in San Diego
80 breweries listed as open inside the San Diego city limits on Open Brewery DB, a community-kept directory, read Oct 2026. Breweries in nearby suburbs are not counted, and a few new ones may be missing.
Camping and van life near San Diego
Public land and campgrounds within 50 miles of downtown, from federal map services, read Oct 2026. Distances are straight-line from downtown, so driving is further.
Free overnight spot for van lifers
No named free camping area is mapped within 50 miles, but there is BLM land within 10 miles, where dispersed camping is free on most parcels for up to 14 days.
Nearest public campgrounds and dispersed areas
| Site | Type | Miles | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder Oaks Campground | Campground | 39.5 | $20/Night for single unit, $40/Night for double unit, $5/Night for extra vehicle. Equestri |
| Cibbets Flat Campground | Campground | 41.7 | $20/Night for single unit, $40/Night for double unit |
| El Prado Group Campground | Campground | 42.8 | A reservation charge is added to the price of the site. Fee varies with site |
| Laguna Campground | Campground | 43.1 | Campsites $35/Night for single unit (one vehicle included) Extra vehicle $10 (over 2 allow |
| Horse Heaven Group Campground | Campground | 43.5 | A reservation charge is added to the price of the site Fees varies with site |
| Wooded Hill Group Campground | Campground | 43.5 | Make reservations at least 3 days in advance. A reservation charge is added to the price o |
| Burnt Rancheria Campground | Campground | 44.4 | Campsites $35/Night for single unit (one vehicle included) Extra vehicle $10 (over 2 allow |
| Crestline Group Campground | Campground | 44.7 | A reservation charge is added to the price of the site. $75/Night |
| Fry Creek Campground | Campground | 46.3 | Fees: $15/Night for single unit, $5/Night for extra vehicle. |
| Observatory Campground | Campground | 46.4 | Fees: $20/night for single unit, $40/night for double unit, $5/night for extra vehicle. A |
Source: Forest Service recreation sites and BLM recreation sites, read Oct 2026. Fees are quoted from the agency page and change by season; check the linked page before you go.
Air quality and natural hazards in San Diego
| Natural hazard | FEMA risk rating |
|---|---|
| Heat wave | Relatively High |
| Wildfire | Very High |
| Hurricane | Very Low |
| Tornado | Relatively Low |
| Earthquake | Relatively High |
| Inland flooding | Very High |
| Coastal flooding | Relatively Moderate |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low |
| Drought | Relatively Low |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025, for San Diego County. Ratings compare this county with every other US county and count the people and buildings exposed, so large counties tend to rate higher.
Indie hacking scene in San Diego
Indie meetup found
Founders San Diego meets weekly, Bootstrappers Breakfast has run peer breakfasts here since 2010, and one-off founder mixers show up through the year. We could not confirm current breakfast dates.
Found by web search in Oct 2026. Meetups come and go, so check the link for current dates.
Questions people ask
How much is rent in San Diego, CA?
Near downtown, $2,660 a month for a 1-bedroom and $2,490 for a studio, utilities included: that is HUD's FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rent, the median of 9 ZIP codes within 2 miles of downtown, as of October 2026. Across the whole San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA the figure is $2,335, 12% less, because it includes outlying areas. Current tenants inside the city limits report a median of $2,108 for a 1-bedroom (Census ACS 2024 1-year).
Is San Diego walkable?
Most walkable by the EPA's National Walkability Index: the area within 2 miles of downtown San Diego scores 15.5 out of 20, and the area within 5 miles scores 14.4. 3.8% of residents walk to work.
Do you need a car in San Diego?
Car needed. 7% of San Diego households own no car, 2.6% of residents commute by public transit, and a single MTS ride costs $3.00 ($7.00 for a day pass). The bike network scores 28 out of 100 with PeopleForBikes.
How fast is home internet in San Diego?
The fastest advertised home plan is 5 Gbps fiber from AT&T, offered to 82% of addresses according to FCC coverage data. The cheapest advertised plan starts at $35 a month before fees. Speeds are advertised, not measured.
Is there free camping near San Diego?
No named free camping area is mapped within 50 miles of downtown. BLM land starts within 10 miles and allows free dispersed camping on most parcels.
What does an Airbnb cost in San Diego?
The median nightly price for an entire home was $296 across 9,764 listings in the Inside Airbnb snapshot from Sep 2026.
How hot does San Diego get in summer?
The hottest month is August with an average high of 77°F and nights around 68°F. The coldest month averages a low of 50°F. These are NOAA 30-year normals for 1991 to 2020.
How many breweries are in San Diego?
80 breweries are listed as open inside the city limits on Open Brewery DB as of Oct 2026: 45 microbreweries, 23 brewpubs, 6 large breweries, 5 regional breweries, 1 contract brewery. See every San Diego brewery with a link and a map.
Is San Diego good for indie hackers?
Indie meetup found. Founders San Diego meets weekly, Bootstrappers Breakfast has run peer breakfasts here since 2010, and one-off founder mixers show up through the year. We could not confirm current breakfast dates.
Know San Diego? Spot a wrong number, a missing link or something worth adding? Suggest an update for San Diego.
Rent by ZIP code near downtown San Diego
HUD publishes rent for each ZIP code. These are the ones within 2 miles of downtown, cheapest 1-bedroom first; each has its own page.
- 92113 $1,850
- 92102 $2,230
- 92132 $2,330
- 92104 $2,410
- 92103 $2,660
- 92134 $3,300
- 92101 $3,380
- 92118 $3,500
- 92135 $3,500
Nearest cities on the site
- Riverside, CA 88 mi, $1,700
- Anaheim, CA 89 mi, $2,480
- Las Vegas, NV 265 mi, $1,340
- Tucson, AZ 362 mi, $1,100
Cities with similar rent
Compare San Diego with another city
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