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Average Rent in San Carlos & Rent Trends

What is the average rent in San Carlos?

The average listed apartment rent in San Carlos is $2,693 per month, as of November 8, 2026. This sample includes 13 priced apartments in 1 building. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

We use published total monthly rent when known and base rent otherwise. Unknown fees remain unknown. Buildings without a qualifying price do not count in this sample. The guide directory can include more buildings.

Rent prices and market trends across 1 apartment community in San Carlos, San Diego, CA. Prices update after successful source checks.

Area All Areas San Carlos Carmel Valley Embarcadero Jamacha Middletown Morena Otay Mesa
San Diego 91942
Beds All Bedrooms Studio 1 Bed 2 Bed 3 Bed

Showing any bedrooms in San Carlos.

Market Average

$2,693/mo

Lowest Available

$2,326/mo

cheapest unit on market

Communities

1

tracked daily

Units Listed

13

available now

Rent Watch: cuts and increases

Open Rent Watch →

See current options while we confirm new price comparisons. Filter by bedrooms and budget, then inspect each building’s history.

San Carlos vs San Diego, CA Average

San Carlos is cheaper than the San Diego, CA average by $676/mo (20%). The citywide average is $3,369/mo across all neighborhoods.

Is Rent Going Up or Down in San Carlos?

As of November 2026, the average rent in San Carlos is $2,693 per month across 1 apartment community and 13 available units.

The most affordable option is Mission Trails Apartments starting at $2,326/mo. By unit type, a 1-bedroom averages $2,340/mo, a 2-bedroom averages $2,851/mo.

Prices range from $2,326 to $2,956 per month. The most common price point is the $2,800 range, where 6 units are currently listed.

Average Rent by Bedroom

Rent Price Distribution

Rent by Bedroom Type in San Carlos

1 Bed
$2,340
from $2,326 · 4 units
2 Bed
$2,851
from $2,767 · 9 units

Rent Prices by Apartment in San Carlos

Property Starting at Average Units Rating
Mission Trails Apartments $2,326/mo $2,693/mo 13 4

Frequently Asked Questions About Rent in San Carlos

How many bedrooms are you looking for?

How many bedrooms are you looking for?

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Any bedrooms

What is the average rent in San Carlos?
The average listed apartment rent in San Carlos is $2,693 per month, as of November 8, 2026. This sample includes 13 priced apartments in 1 building. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

What rent range can I find in San Carlos?
The apartment listings we track in San Carlos range from $2,326 to $2,956 per month, as of November 8, 2026. These are the lowest and highest listed prices. They are not a typical price for every apartment. The building, floor plan, and lease terms can affect the price.

Are rents going up or down in San Carlos?
There is not enough comparable history to report a reliable 30-day rent change for apartment listings in San Carlos. Missing dates or a change in the buildings we track can prevent a comparison. Missing history does not mean rents stayed flat.

How much is a 1-bedroom apartment in San Carlos?
1-bedroom apartments average $2,340 per month across 4 priced listings in San Carlos. Listed rents range from $2,326 to $2,381 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 2-bedroom apartment in San Carlos?
2-bedroom apartments average $2,851 per month across 9 priced listings in San Carlos. Listed rents range from $2,767 to $2,956 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

Which tracked building has the lowest starting rent in San Carlos?
Mission Trails Apartments has the lowest starting rent among the buildings in the comparison table, at $2,326 per month. We track 13 priced listings matching your bedroom choice in that building, as of November 8, 2026. The starting price applies to its lowest-priced matching apartment. Check that apartment's latest price and availability.

Which rent range has the most listings in San Carlos?
The $2,800 to $3,000 monthly range has the most matching listings: 6 units, or 46.2% of the priced apartments we track in San Carlos. This count does not tell us how fast the apartments rent.

How many apartment listings do you track in San Carlos?
We track 13 priced units at 1 apartment building, as of November 8, 2026. This is not the total number of apartments in those buildings. A listing can change or become unavailable. Open the apartment details to check its latest status.

How much rent history is available for San Carlos?
We do not yet have enough accepted price records to draw a history chart for apartment listings in San Carlos. Current asking prices can appear before rent history is ready. We do not fill missing history with zero or with prices for a different bedroom count.

Why can the headline rent differ from the trend chart in San Carlos?
The average at the top of the page gives each matching apartment equal weight. The chart first averages recorded prices within each building, then compares buildings. It removes the highest and lowest groups when at least ten buildings contribute and omits days with fewer than five buildings. Different dates, building counts, and listing mixes can produce different figures. The monthly table averages the recorded daily figures.

Does my bedroom choice change the prices and answers?
Yes. Your chosen area and bedroom count filter the asking rents, listing counts, rent ranges, and answers on this page. The active community exclusions are Student housing and 55+ / senior community and Corporate housing and Military / active duty housing and Veteran housing. When you choose a bedroom count, the history chart uses recorded prices for matching apartments with a known identity. If those records are missing, we leave the chart empty rather than use prices for other bedroom types. Open an individual apartment to check its own price history.

Do these rents include utilities, parking, and other fees?
We use the published total monthly rent when it is available and the base rent otherwise. Unknown fees are not zero. Utilities, parking, pet charges, deposits, and one-time costs can add to the amount you pay. Check the selected unit and lease terms for a complete quote.

How should I compare free-rent offers with listed rent?
A free-rent offer can reduce the effective cost over a lease without changing the listed monthly rent. Compare the same lease length and move-in date, then include required charges and the offer conditions. The market averages do not assume an unconfirmed discount.

Does this page represent every rental in the market?
These figures describe the priced apartment listings we track, not every rental home or every occupied apartment. Coverage and the mix of bedrooms, buildings, and locations can change. A lower market average does not prove that the same apartment received a price cut.

How fresh are the San Carlos rent figures?
We schedule rent updates each day, but buildings can have different price-check dates. The latest accepted price check for these listings was November 8, 2026. The month label does not mean we checked every price today. Open the building or apartment details for its latest price and availability.

What salary do I need to live comfortably in San Carlos?

Built on the 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.

Minimum to afford average rent

$108,000/year

Based on the 30 percent rule, using our tracked average rent of $2,693/mo.

Comfortable income

$129,000/year

Based on the 25 percent rule, leaving more room for savings, transport, and groceries.

To afford the cheapest tracked apartment ($2,326/mo), you need to earn at least $93,000/year.

Median household income in San Carlos is $104,321 , about 19% below the comfortable-living threshold.

Explore San Carlos Apartments

Browse all 1 communities with daily-updated pricing and availability.

Browse All Apartments Find Your Match

Cost of living in San Carlos

Overall prices in San Carlos runs above the national average by about 11% (BEA Regional Price Parity index 110.7, where 100 equals the U.S. average). The breakdown below estimates monthly costs for a single adult, using national consumer-spending baselines from the Bureau of Labor Statistics scaled by San Carlos's regional price parities.

Category Monthly estimate
Rent (market average) $2,693
Utilities $799
Groceries $552
Transportation $1,904
Healthcare $929
Other goods and services $1,486
Estimated total $8,363/mo

Population

1,385,061

Median household income

$104,321

Census median rent

$2,223/mo

Census rent burden

32.2%

Median age

36.0

Mean commute

24 min

Methodology

Rent data

We use listed asking rents and schedule daily data updates. Individual buildings can have different verification dates. Check the building or unit page for its latest price and availability.

Cost of living

Estimates combine national consumer-spending baselines from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Survey) with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP dataset). Both are peer-reviewed federal data releases published annually.

Salary to live comfortably

We estimate annual income by dividing annual rent by 30 percent for the affordability figure and 25 percent for the comfortable-income figure. These estimates are a guide, not a guarantee of rental approval.

Demographic figures

Median household income, population, median age, commute time, Census median rent, and rent as percentage of income come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the most recent complete release.

Cost of living and demographic figures were last published in 2023.
California Rent Trends
Compare rent across all California cities
San Diego, CA Neighborhood Rent Map
See rent history by neighborhood on a map
Explore San Diego, CA on Map
See neighborhoods and rent data interactively
US-wide rent comparison
See how San Diego, CA rents stack up against the national median

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