Bedroom count
Property type
Last updated on November 9, 2026
Average rent in
San Diego, CA
Average rent in
Last updated on November 9, 2026
Bedroom count
Property type
Key takeaways for renters
Where San Diego rent stands today
San Diego, CA rent is essentially flat year over year, with a current median of $2,816/month. Renters are paying roughly the same as last year, with no change in month-over-month rent as well.
Compared to national trends
San Diego runs 48.2% more expensive than the $1,900/month national median, placing it among pricier coastal metros with 2,707 total rentals available.
Rent ranges by bedroom
Studio rents in San Diego are $1,825/month, 1-bedrooms are $2,200/month, and 2-bedrooms are $2,900/month. Larger units include 3-bedrooms at $4,000/month and 4+ bedrooms at $6,295/month, reflecting variation by bedroom count.
Neighborhood spotlight
Jolla Mesa saw rents decline by 73.9% year over year, far exceeding the citywide flat trend. Nearby La Jolla Farms and Alta Vista also experienced steep declines of 73.1% and 71.5%, respectively, showing significant local variation.
Median rent
Median rent in San Diego
$2,816/mo
vs previous year
The average rent in San Diego is $2,816 per month as of November 2026. This is 48% above the national average rent, or $916 more per month.
average price per square foot
Total rentals
Available rentals in San Diego
2,707
for rent on Zumper.com as of November 2026
Rent price distribution
Share of San Diego rentals at each price point
Rent trends in San Diego, CA
Average rent prices in San Diego have remained the same over the last month and have remained the same since last year.
Rent trends
Rent prices on this page are calculated on a rolling 30-day basis and updated daily.
Compare rent prices in
San Diego, CA
Rent prices in San Diego vary by bedroom size, rental type, and neighborhood. The average rent for an apartment in San Diego is $2,450, whereas a house costs $4,450. 1-bedroom apartments in San Diego run $2,195 on average, while 2-bedroom apartments are $2,700.
Listings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Studio | $1,825 | No Change |  1% | |
1 bedroom | $2,200 | 1% | No Change | |
2 bedroom | $2,900 | No Change | 2% | |
3 bedroom | $4,000 | 1% | 2% | |
4 bedroom | $6,295 | No Change |  1% |
Listings | ||
|---|---|---|
College East | $5,900 | |
College West | $5,700 | |
East Village | $2,358 | |
Hillcrest | $2,495 | |
Linda Vista | $2,789 | |
North Park | $2,300 | |
Pacific Beach | $3,191 | |
Park West | $2,948 | |
University City | $3,320 | |
University Heights | $2,400 |
Listings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Apartments | $2,450 | 1% | 2% | |
Condos | $2,995 | 2% | 3% | |
Houses | $4,450 | 4% | 5% | |
Rooms | $1,469 | 8% | 22% |
Studio
Average rent
$1,825
Last year
1%
1 bedroom
Average rent
$2,200
Last 30 days
1%
2 bedroom
Average rent
$2,900
Last year
2%
3 bedroom
Average rent
$4,000
Last 30 days
1%
Last year
2%
4 bedroom
Average rent
$6,295
Last year
1%
College East
Average rent
$5,900
North Park
Average rent
$2,300
College West
Average rent
$5,700
Pacific Beach
Average rent
$3,191
Hillcrest
Average rent
$2,495
Park West
Average rent
$2,948
University City
Average rent
$3,320
University Heights
Average rent
$2,400
East Village
Average rent
$2,358
Linda Vista
Average rent
$2,789
Apartments
Average rent
$2,450
Last 30 days
1%
Last year
2%
Condos
Average rent
$2,995
Last 30 days
2%
Last year
3%
Houses
Average rent
$4,450
Last 30 days
4%
Last year
5%
Rooms
Average rent
$1,469
Last 30 days
8%
Last year
22%
The table above reflects average rent prices in San Diego, CA, broken down by the number of bedrooms, neighborhoods, and property types. The availability of data for each category is dependent on market inventory and will adjust depending on your selected filters.
How does rent in San Diego, CA compare to other cities?
Compare median rent prices in San Diego and Bonita by all bedroom counts and property types.
San Diego
48%higher than the national median
50%higher than the national median
Takeaway
The median rent for all rentals in San Diego, CA is 1% lower than the median rent in Bonita, CA.
Average rent in nearby cities
Explore rent trends in neighboring markets
$2,843
5%$2,995
1%$6,500
11%$2,150
5%$5,697
9%$2,897
19%$2,395
$2,288
9%$2,300
4%$2,800
4%$3,347
29%$2,378
4%Cost of living in San Diego, CA
Explore the cost of essential expenses, and then use our rent calculator to find out how much rent you can afford.
Expenses accrued by most renters | Average cost compared to national average |
|---|---|
| Goods & Services | 15% higher |
| Groceries | 14% higher |
| Health | 6% higher |
| Housing | 106% higher |
| Transportation | 41% higher |
| Utilities | 52% higher |
Discover rentals in San Diego, CA
5h ago
720 4th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
1 bed
1 bath
$595
Fees may apply. The price shown reflects base rent. Complete fee information is not available from the property, so additional fees may increase the total monthly cost.Apartment for rent
5d+ ago
Gaslamp house for rent in San Diego
536 5th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Studio
0 baths
$689
Fees may apply. The price shown reflects base rent. Complete fee information is not available from the property, so additional fees may increase the total monthly cost.House for rent
Available Jul 30
5d+ ago
College West house for rent in San Diego
5529 Dorothy Dr #1, San Diego, CA 92115
4 beds
2 baths
$750
Fees may apply. The price shown reflects base rent. Complete fee information is not available from the property, so additional fees may increase the total monthly cost.House for rent
Available Oct 26
5d+ ago
College East house for rent in San Diego
6419 Shane Pl, San Diego, CA 92115
1 bed
1 bath
$900
Fees may apply. The price shown reflects base rent. Complete fee information is not available from the property, so additional fees may increase the total monthly cost.House for rent
Available Oct 2
5d+ ago
Bird Rock house for rent in San Diego
5204 Chelsea St, San Diego, CA 92037
5 beds
7.5 baths
$69,000
Fees may apply. The price shown reflects base rent. Complete fee information is not available from the property, so additional fees may increase the total monthly cost.House for rent
5d+ ago
Bird Rock house for rent in San Diego
5342 Chelsea Ave, San Diego, CA 92037
4 beds
4.5 baths
$40,000
Fees may apply. The price shown reflects base rent. Complete fee information is not available from the property, so additional fees may increase the total monthly cost.House for rent
5d+ ago
Village house for rent in San Diego
1245 Coast Blvd, San Diego, CA 92037
3 beds
4.5 baths
$39,500
Fees may apply. The price shown reflects base rent. Complete fee information is not available from the property, so additional fees may increase the total monthly cost.House for rent
5d+ ago
Roseville - Fleet Ridge house for rent in San Diego
2164 Rosecrans St, San Diego, CA 92106
4 beds
4 baths
$35,000
Fees may apply. The price shown reflects base rent. Complete fee information is not available from the property, so additional fees may increase the total monthly cost.House for rent
1d ago
Verified
10201 Camino Ruiz, San Diego, CA 92126
1–2 beds
1–2 baths
$2,129–$2,949
Fees may apply. The price shown reflects base rent. Complete fee information is not available from the property, so additional fees may increase the total monthly cost.Apartment for rent
6h ago
Verified
5474 Reservoir Dr, San Diego, CA 92120
Studio–2 beds
1–2 baths
$1,913–$3,384
Total Monthly Price. The price shown reflects a 12-month lease and includes base rent and all known required monthly fees, based on information provided by the property.Apartment for rent
12h ago
Verified
15640 Bernardo Center Dr, San Diego, CA 92127
2–3 beds
1–2 baths
$2,858–$3,463
Price droppedAdditional fees apply. The price shown reflects base rent. Based on information provided by the property, additional fees may apply, but no required monthly charges have been confirmed. See all fees for details.Apartment for rent
2d ago
Verified
12629 El Camino Real, San Diego, CA 92130
1–3 beds
1–2 baths
$2,885–$4,324
Additional fees apply. The price shown reflects base rent. Based on information provided by the property, additional fees may apply, but no required monthly charges have been confirmed. See all fees for details.Apartment for rent
6h ago
Verified
5474 Reservoir Dr, San Diego, CA 92120
Studio–2 beds
1–2 baths
$1,913–$3,384
Total Monthly Price. The price shown reflects a 12-month lease and includes base rent and all known required monthly fees, based on information provided by the property.Apartment for rent
1d ago
Verified
10201 Camino Ruiz, San Diego, CA 92126
1–2 beds
1–2 baths
$2,129–$2,949
Fees may apply. The price shown reflects base rent. Complete fee information is not available from the property, so additional fees may increase the total monthly cost.Apartment for rent
3d ago
Verified
12435 Heatherton Ct, San Diego, CA 92128
1–2 beds
1–2 baths
$2,431–$3,002
Additional fees apply. The price shown reflects base rent. Based on information provided by the property, additional fees may apply, but no required monthly charges have been confirmed. See all fees for details.Apartment for rent
3d ago
Verified
13138 Kellam Ct, San Diego, CA 92130
1–2 beds
1–2 baths
$2,707–$3,984
Price droppedAdditional fees apply. The price shown reflects base rent. Based on information provided by the property, additional fees may apply, but no required monthly charges have been confirmed. See all fees for details.Apartment for rent
1d ago
Verified
10201 Camino Ruiz, San Diego, CA 92126
1–2 beds
1–2 baths
$2,129–$2,949
Fees may apply. The price shown reflects base rent. Complete fee information is not available from the property, so additional fees may increase the total monthly cost.Apartment for rent
6h ago
Verified
5474 Reservoir Dr, San Diego, CA 92120
Studio–2 beds
1–2 baths
$1,913–$3,384
Total Monthly Price. The price shown reflects a 12-month lease and includes base rent and all known required monthly fees, based on information provided by the property.Apartment for rent
12h ago
Verified
15640 Bernardo Center Dr, San Diego, CA 92127
2–3 beds
1–2 baths
$2,858–$3,463
Price droppedAdditional fees apply. The price shown reflects base rent. Based on information provided by the property, additional fees may apply, but no required monthly charges have been confirmed. See all fees for details.Apartment for rent
2d ago
Verified
12629 El Camino Real, San Diego, CA 92130
1–3 beds
1–2 baths
$2,885–$4,324
Additional fees apply. The price shown reflects base rent. Based on information provided by the property, additional fees may apply, but no required monthly charges have been confirmed. See all fees for details.Apartment for rent
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Are you interested in licensing our current and historical rental real estate data, or do you have custom data requests? Contact datalicensing@zumper.com.
Frequently asked questions for San Diego, CA
Quick answers to common questions about the San Diego rental market.
How much is rent in San Diego?
The average rent in San Diego is $2,816 per month as of November 7, 2026.
Is rent up or down in San Diego?
Average rent prices in San Diego have remained the same over the last month and have remained the same since last year.
How does San Diego rent compare to the national average?
Rent in San Diego is 48% above the national average, which means renters are paying approximately $916 more per month.
Which neighborhoods are most affordable in San Diego?
The most affordable neighborhoods in San Diego are North Park ($2,300/mo), East Village ($2,358/mo), and University Heights ($2,400/mo).
What salary do I need to afford rent in San Diego?
To comfortably afford rent in San Diego, you'd need to earn approximately $113,000/year, based on spending no more than 30% of your income on rent.
When is the best time of year to rent in San Diego?
December stands out as the best time to apartment hunt in San Diego, offering both the lowest seasonal rents and the least competition among renters, with roughly 4.5% savings compared to peak August pricing.
Methodology
Rent prices are based on Zumper's rental listings from the past 30 days. Median rent is calculated across all available listings and property types on the platform. If you filter the page by bedroom count or property type, the pricing throughout the page will update automatically to reflect that segment of the rental market.
Household and population data come from the U.S. Census Bureau. Cost-of-living data is sourced from the Council for Community and Economic Research's Cost of Living Index (COLI).
For additional insights into rental trends, including month-over-month changes and historical comparisons, see Zumper's Monthly Metro Report.
San Diego Metro Report
The Zumper San Diego Metro Report analyzed active listings last month across metro cities to provide insights into rental trends, highlighting the most and least expensive cities and those with the fastest growing rents. The California one-bedroom median rent was $2,079 last month.
The Most Expensive
- Coronado ranked as the most expensive city with one-bedrooms priced at $4,230.
- Encinitas was the second priciest city with rent at $3,320.
- Carlsbad placed third with rent at $2,540.
The Least Expensive
- El Cajon was the most affordable city, with one-bedroom rent priced at $1,780.
- Imperial Beach ranked as second with rent at $1,950.
- Escondido & La Mesa tied for third with rents both at $2,000.
The Fastest Growing (Y/Y%)
- Encinitas had the fastest growing rent, jumping 17.3% since this time last year.
- Coronado saw rent grow 15.9%, making it second.
- Oceanside placed third with rent increasing 4.6%.
The Fastest Growing (M/M%)
About
The Zumper San Diego Metro Area Report analyzed active listings that hit the market last month. Listings are aggregated by city to calculate median asking rents.
Words by
Crystal ChenCrystal Chen is a seasoned real estate and housing market expert with more than a decade of experience analyzing rental trends, housing affordability, and urban living. At Zumper, she leads data storytelling as well as press and media relations, where she translates complex housing research into easily digestible insights for renters, industry professionals, and journalists. Her reports can be seen cited in national outlets like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and CNBC. She is passionate about helping renters navigate today’s evolving housing landscape with clarity and confidence. Living in New York City herself, she knows firsthand the chaos and challenges of navigating a competitive rental market.