Last updated October 4, 2026

Average Rent in San Diego, CA & Rent Trends

Rent prices and market trends across 31 apartment communities in San Diego, CA. Updated daily.

Area All Areas Carmel Valley Embarcadero Jamacha Middletown Otay Mesa San Carlos

Beds All Bedrooms Studio 1 Bed 2 Bed 3 Bed 4 Bed 5 Bed

Market Average

$3,547/mo

▲ +4.7% from last month

Lowest Available

$1,500/mo

cheapest unit on market

Communities

tracked daily

Units Listed

524

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.

Rent by Neighborhood in San Diego, CA

Compare average rent across San Diego, CA neighborhoods. Click any area to see detailed trends. View these neighborhoods on the rent map

Neighborhood	Avg Rent	30d Change	From	Properties	Units
Carmel Valley	$4,551	▼ $367	$3,034	2	32
Embarcadero	$3,503	▼ $6	$1,500	24	459
Middletown	$3,424	▼ $6	$2,259	1	16
Otay Mesa	$3,250	▼ $81	$2,682	2	7
San Carlos	$2,983	▲ $129	$2,431	1	8
Jamacha	$2,035	▼ $105	$1,946	1	2

Is Rent Going Up or Down in San Diego, CA?

As of October 2026, the average rent in San Diego, CA is $3,547 per month across 31 apartment communities and 524 available units. Rents have increased $160 (4.7%) over the past month.

The most affordable option is J Street Flats starting at $1,500/mo. By unit type, a studio averages $2,494/mo, a 1-bedroom averages $3,117/mo, a 2-bedroom averages $4,506/mo, a 3-bedroom averages $7,056/mo, a 4-bedroom averages $2,600/mo, a 5-bedroom averages $3,611/mo.

Prices range from $1,500 to $17,840 per month. The most common price point is the $2,800 range, where 65 units are currently listed.

San Diego, CA Rent Price History

Timeframe

View as table

Month	Avg Rent	Change	Properties
April 2026	$2,957	-	6
May 2026	$3,366	+$409	22
June 2026	$3,468	+$102	23
July 2026	$3,306	-$162	29
August 2026	$3,323	+$17	32
September 2026	$3,296	-$27	32
October 2026	$3,449	+$153	29

The trend line and monthly averages track each building's average listed price, recorded daily with outliers trimmed. The current month is a month-to-date figure, so it can sit above or below today's live market average shown at the top of this page.

Average Rent by Bedroom

Rent Price Distribution

Rent by Bedroom Type in San Diego, CA

Studio

$2,494

from $1,500 · 137 units

1 Bed

$3,117

from $2,214 · 196 units

2 Bed

$4,506

from $1,946 · 170 units

3 Bed

$7,056

from $3,330 · 19 units

4 Bed

$2,600

from $2,600 · 1 units

5 Bed

$3,611

from $3,611 · 1 units

Rent Prices by Apartment in San Diego, CA

Property	Starting at	Average	Units	Rating
J Street Flats	$1,500/mo	$1,555/mo	10	4.2
900 F Street Apartments	$1,795/mo	$1,795/mo	1	3.9
Vera Cortez Hill	$1,874/mo	$2,463/mo	24	4.1
Meadowbrook Apartments	$1,946/mo	$2,035/mo	2	3.5
The Rey Apartments	$2,060/mo	$2,772/mo	52	4.3
Nova Apartment Homes	$2,067/mo	$2,291/mo	15	4.3
4th+J	$2,099/mo	$2,680/mo	39	4.3
625 Broadway	$2,109/mo	$2,724/mo	14	4.4
Tenth&G	$2,119/mo	$2,675/mo	12	4.1
Form 15 Apartments	$2,227/mo	$2,538/mo	6	4.3
AVA Balboa Park	$2,259/mo	$3,424/mo	16	4.7
The Merian	$2,285/mo	$3,621/mo	48	3.5
Modera San Diego	$2,302/mo	$3,068/mo	11	4.1
Arrive Broadway Lofts	$2,339/mo	$2,404/mo	4	4
800 Broadway	$2,344/mo	$4,388/mo	34	4.8
Mission Trails Apartments	$2,431/mo	$2,983/mo	8	4
Vantage Pointe Apartments	$2,437/mo	$3,041/mo	57	3.6
The Artisan	$2,564/mo	$2,564/mo	1	4.1
Stanza Little Italy	$2,606/mo	$3,331/mo	19	4.5
Radian Apartments	$2,615/mo	$4,516/mo	23	4.3
The Lindley	$2,648/mo	$6,211/mo	19	4
The Landing at Ocean View Hills	$2,682/mo	$2,740/mo	2	3.5
AV8	$2,706/mo	$3,379/mo	5	4.8
Eighteen Ten State St.	$2,799/mo	$3,220/mo	9	4.8
Luma Apartments	$2,820/mo	$4,079/mo	9	4.1
Simone Little Italy	$2,999/mo	$5,166/mo	16	4.2
The Village at Del Mar Heights Apartments	$3,034/mo	$3,526/mo	9	4.6
Riveredge Terrace	$3,055/mo	$3,454/mo	5	4.5
West SD Apartments	$3,103/mo	$5,600/mo	28	4.6
One Paseo Living	$3,402/mo	$4,952/mo	23	4.5
Valentina by Alta	$3,808/mo	$4,425/mo	3	4.7

Frequently Asked Questions About Rent in San Diego, CA

What is the average rent in San Diego, CA?

The average rent in San Diego, CA is $3,547 per month as of October 2026, based on 524 units across 31 apartment communities.

Is rent going up or down in San Diego, CA?

Rent in San Diego, CA has increased $160 (4.7%) over the past month. The current average is $3,547/mo.

What is the cheapest apartment in San Diego, CA?

The most affordable apartment in San Diego, CA is J Street Flats with units starting at $1,500/mo.

How much is a 1-bedroom apartment in San Diego, CA?

A 1-bedroom apartment in San Diego, CA averages $3,117/mo, with prices starting at $2,214/mo across 196 available units.

How many apartments are available in San Diego, CA?

There are 524 units available across 31 apartment communities in San Diego, CA.

What salary do I need to live comfortably in San Diego, CA?

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

Minimum to afford average rent

$142,000/year

Based on the 30 percent rule, using our tracked average rent of $3,547/mo.

Comfortable income

$170,000/year

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

To afford the cheapest tracked apartment ($1,500/mo), you need to earn at least $60,000/year.

Median household income in San Diego, CA is $104,321 , about 39% below the comfortable-living threshold.

Cost of living in San Diego, CA

Overall prices in San Diego, CA 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 Diego, CA's regional price parities.

Category	Monthly estimate	Source
Rent (market average)	$3,547	daily refresh
Utilities	$799	BLS × BEA RPP
Groceries	$552	BLS × BEA RPP
Transportation	$1,904	BLS × BEA RPP
Healthcare	$929	BLS × BEA RPP
Other goods and services	$1,486	BLS × BEA RPP
Estimated total	$9,217/mo	$110,609/year

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

Sourced directly from each tracked apartment community and refreshed every 24 hours. Every listed unit price on this page is real and listed today.

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

Applies the standard 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income rule on top of the listed rent. This is the same affordability guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.

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