My girlfriend and I currently live in Orlando and have been considering moving to San Diego. Our combined income is roughly $180k–$240k, depending on the year.

Coming from Orlando, San Diego seems almost absurdly expensive and somewhat unattainable. At the same time, when I think about a more familiar market like Miami (not somewhere we’re particularly interested in moving), the cost of living doesn’t seem quite as intimidating, even though some comparisons put the two cities in a similar ballpark.

For those who live in San Diego, especially young professionals:

Is that household income enough to live comfortably, save, travel, and enjoy life?

How realistic is it to eventually buy a home (or even rent) and raise a family without feeling financially stretched?

Does having a good household income make the cost of living manageable, or do you still feel like you’re constantly sacrificing financially?

If you moved from a more affordable city, was the lifestyle worth the additional expense?

I know it depends on lifestyle and housing choices, but I’m trying to understand what life actually looks like beyond cost-of-living calculators. I’d appreciate honest perspectives, especially from people who’ve made a similar move.

Hello! My name is Ceilly, and I am a dental hygiene student at Southwestern College in San Diego, CA.

I am currently looking for patients who haven't had a dental cleaning for 5+ years and may need a deep cleaning due to heavy buildup (calculus/tartar).

All services are completely FREE. Please note that this is a school setting, so appointments may take 2–4 hours and will require multiple visits.

If you are interested, please complete this Google form:

https://forms.gle/avJ8Qeo7NG4JEXto8

Thank you so much for your time and interest!

Hi I’m Black/Hispanic 24M moving to SD from Austin and I’d love to hear some feedback on what areas I should be looking into. I’ve been to SD for all of 7 days ever so I’ve really just been going off what I saw in the daytime.

For context, I’ve lived in Austin for 6 years. I love going out to 6th Street, dive bars, UT football games, or really any form of social setting. I’m in sales so my income fluctuates, but I’m expecting to make about 80-90k this year. Since I don’t have a car note or excess bills outside of rent/student loans, I was looking into staying in a 1-bed with budget around $1800-1900 a month.

I’ve not been blown away by the options (who would be with my budget), so now I’m starting to think more about living with roommates. I’ve been opposed to that having lived alone for the past two years (also bc I’m extremely clean), but I’m trying to look into all my options now. I’m just not really sure how/where to find some and would appreciate any advice on that.

Most importantly, I work remote and am home most of the day outside of going to the gym. I don’t know anyone in SD outside of a couple of cousins, and even though I’m a very outgoing person, I’m weary of living alone and trying to make friends outside of work.

Major plus for me is my dad stays out there so I’ll have a place to stay until at least December. Got a lot to sort out but any help from people who are more familiar with SD and the vibes around town would be greatly appreciated!!

Hi, I am considering leasing out an apt in 4th +J apartment complex in the Marina District and would love to hear a bit about the area and the apartment complex in particular. ( couldn’t find any resident reviews and it seems be a new one. Appreciate any inputs here).

Also, read a lot of comments complaining about living in the downtown, San Diego ( east village etc.). Would appreciate any advice on leasing in this locality in particular ( marina district, opp. convention center). Thank you.

Hi everyone!

I'm currently based in Texas and will be relocating to San Diego in November for work. My office is in Rancho Bernardo, so I'm looking for housing in Rancho Bernardo or nearby areas with a reasonable commute.

I'm primarily looking for a 2-bedroom apartment and would be happy to share with a female roommate who is also apartment hunting or has a room available. I'm also open to 1-bedroom apartments if the rent is reasonable.

If anyone has any leads, recommendations for apartment communities, or is looking for a female roommate, please feel free to comment or DM me!

I’m moving from Denver for a biotech job and I’m concerned about everyone saying how difficult it is to make friends in San Diego.

I’m really excited about being able to play beach volleyball all year round and I think that’ll be my best bet at finding a community. How do I get into the beach volleyball scene? Are there dedicated clinics or leagues or just pick up?

Is there an art scene? I used to live in NYC and the art scene is how I made most of my connections.

I also really want to hike! But I’m wary of hiking by myself as a woman. In Colorado, it’s generally quite safe to hike alone on the trails and mountains as a woman. Is it safe in California?

Any tips welcome!

Hey everyone!

I’m 23, from New Hampshire, and my girlfriend and I have been seriously considering moving to San Diego for a year or two while we’re young.

We both graduated college in 2025 and are working full-time in our respective careers. I work remotely in tech sales, which gives me some geographic flexibility, and we’re currently figuring out the logistics of potentially relocating.

We visited San Diego recently and stayed in Pacific Beach. We absolutely loved the area, especially the walkability, beach, surfing, restaurants, and outdoor lifestyle. PB is probably our first choice if we make the move.

Our target rent budget is around $2,600–$3,200/month total. Ideally, we’d love a nice one- or two-bedroom apartment in a walkable area, preferably near the beach. We’re open to other neighborhoods if there’s somewhere that might be a better fit for us.

Is our rental budget realistic for a decent apartment in PB? Any specific areas or apartment-hunting tips we should know about?

We’re not expecting a permanent vacation, and we understand the cost of living is high. I’m more interested in hearing what everyday life is actually like once the excitement of moving somewhere new wears off.

A few things I’m curious about:

For people who moved to San Diego in their early/mid-20s, was it worth it? Especially if you moved from the East Coast.

What’s Pacific Beach like for young professionals? Is it a good place to actually live, or does the college/party atmosphere get old?

How easy is it to make genuine friends? Particularly for people working remotely who aren’t meeting coworkers in person. We would be eager to make friends with young couples and people in general who are living similar.

Does the outdoor lifestyle live up to expectations? I’m really into surfing, the gym, hiking, and generally being active.

What are the biggest downsides that you didn’t anticipate before moving?

If you could go back to your early 20s, would you make the move again?
We’re both close with our families, so moving across the country would be a big decision. But part of our thinking is that we’d rather try something like this while we’re young than wonder about it later.

Ultimately, we know we have a pretty good situation back home, and we’re not looking to move because we’re unhappy here. We just feel like this might be a unique opportunity to experience a different lifestyle, grow a little, and make some great memories before eventually settling down.

Would love to hear the good, bad, and everything in between. Thank you!

Hi all! I’m 31, single and have lived in Boston for a few years after living in NYC for four years and Denver for a short time. Boston has never really felt like where I want to be, and some recent life changes (a layoff, and my best and only friend in town moving away) are making me consider San Diego for a fresh start. I've been told by a few people that I would love it there but I've only ever been once when I was young and didn't get to experience a lot of it.

It would be a complete life adjustment but I'm hoping the move could "fix" a few things I've been missing living in Boston. I really want to find more local female friends who are around my age and in a similar place in life. It's crazy that I'm from the Boston area and have so few girlfriends I regularly see - people here tend to stick with the groups they’ve had since childhood and almost everyone I know is in the engaged → married → kids stage. Denver was the easiest place I’ve lived for meeting people, because so many of us were transplants starting from zero. The other thing I'm wondering about is the dating scene in San Diego and if it's like Boston dating (aka the literal TRENCHES OF WAR) or if it's decent.

For those of you who moved to SD as adults, I’d love to hear your stories:

1. Do you regret it, or are you glad you came? What made it click, or not, a year or two in?
2. How long did it take to build a real friend group? If you moved solo in your late 20s or 30s, what actually worked? I’m into small live-music venues, stand-up comedy, art shows, trying new food spots, and I’d join a rec league or book club in a heartbeat.
3. What’s the dating scene actually like? Is it common for people to meet at coffee shops, bars and out in the "wild", or is it mostly apps and through friends and that kind of thing? And are there normal single guys in their 30s who are serious about dating (just having a hard time finding the right person) or do they all have peter pan syndrome like the guys here?
4. What surprised you most once you lived there, good or bad, compared with what you expected?

Bonus if you know Little Italy or East Village: what’s it really like to live there day to day?

Thanks in advance. Happy to answer anything about Boston, NYC or Denver if anyone’s weighing those! <3333

Hey all - I’m a late-20s (gay male) and a competitive cyclist planning to move out to San Diego this fall and finally escape winter! Curious to get people’s thoughts on neighborhoods - if there’s any neighborhood that sounds like a slam dunk based on the description below, strong opinions one way or the other, or maybe even neighborhoods I should have on my radar?

I think as walkable as possible is a priority to me- work will be downtown, but being walking (or biking) distance to coffee shops, bars, nightlife is all something that’s important to me. I think my days of going out clubbing are maybe behind me, but definitely more of a night owl and having bars/breweries/etc and a social scene is important (IE, not dead by 9). Having access to decent riding is very important to me and would play a part of living location decision process for me. I’m a competitive cyclist, so typically looking for easy access to 20 mi+ routes during the week, but also hoping to find a group ride community, whether it be weekday or weekends.

I’ve not spent extensive time out there, so purely going off of what I can find online, but seems like Pacific Beach (maybe north) or Hillcrest/North Park might be good options for what I’m looking for, and wondering if anyone has insight?

As far as I can tell, a lot of the good bike riding starts around La Jolla, so pros of PB might be ease of getting out of town post-work to ride, and obviously walking to beaches. Con’s - seems like it might skew younger, and comparatively more expensive than other areas?

North Park/Hillcrest seems like it has a decent amount of variety, a lot more inventory/apartments (Both homes and new high rises), and the added benefit of being 2-3 miles from other neighborhoods (and work), albeit further from the beach. May also mean that I’m riding from hillcrest thru PB if I want to get out of town to ride.

Thanks in advance for any insight!!

I'm 27F currently living in Vancouver, BC and have been thinking about making the move to San Diego.
Just wanted to get some honest opinions from people who actually live there. What are some good neighbourhoods for someone in their late 20s? Ideally somewhere safe, close to the beach, with a good social scene and things to do.
I'm also curious about the job market and overall quality of life. My background is mainly in international logistics, freight forwarding, supply chain and business development/sales, so if anyone works in those fields I'd love to hear your thoughts on job opportunities.
I'm pretty social, love being outdoors, going to the beach and dancing (especially salsa and bachata), so I'm hoping to find somewhere with a good mix of all that.
Also, are there any fellow Canadians here who've made the move? Would love to know how the experience has been, whether you have any regrets, and how difficult the whole relocation/work visa process was.
Just trying to get a realistic idea of what life in San Diego is like before making any big decisions.

Single M late 30s, and I can’t seem to find a place that meets my needs. PB seems like the best place to meet people/have fun, but are there any decently nice apt complexes in the area?

The only one that kind of comes close (that I’ve seen) is Ava PB, but if I’m looking at this right there’s no in-unit laundry? Lol. I’d like to live somewhere with decent night life/walkability somewhat vibrant area. I have money to spend (ish) $4 to $5k/mo and ultimately I’d like garage parking since my car is nice, in-unit laundry, and a decent pool. I also work remote so no commute. I have a pup too, so also need something accommodating for my lil homie.

I looked at places in La Jolla and it’s kinda eh, feels pretty old. Should I be looking way up north like Encinitas or Solana Beach is that similar to PB?

I had to break my lease in OB to move for an out of state job. There are 6 months left on my lease so now I’m stuck with paying two rents which is really hurting me financially. If anyone is interested in living in OB a block from the beach or has tips for this situation, please lmk!!

$3,995/mo. It’s a 3BD, 1Ba about a block from the beach, bars, gyms/pilates/yoga. In unit washer and dryer which is kinda unheard of. Really prime location, great neighbors, good vibes. :)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5012-20-Santa-Monica-Ave-5012-San-Diego-CA-92107/465498772_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare

Hi! I’m (25F) on the hunt for an apartment in SD. I’m new to the area. Which cities are the safest to check out?

Looking for a flatmate to share a 2BR/2BA apartment in the UTC / University City area, San Diego.
Move-in: Nov 1
Budget: about $1,800 per person ($3,600 total)
Private room and bath each
About me: 29M, robotics engineer working at Qualcomm, vegetarian, from Rajasthan, India
Looking for: non-smoker, clean, respectful of shared spaces. Vegetarian-friendly kitchen preferred.
I have a few shortlisted apartments and can finalize together. Happy to do a video call first. DM me if interested. Thanks!

My partner and I take home about 100k (a bit more) after taxes. We really want to start a life in SoCal and my partner has been in love with San Diego since he was younger (his family is from LA). I don’t know if it would be a good idea to move here on our budget? Are we delusional? We both work remote jobs and are flexible. We aren’t expecting to live in like La Jolla or anything fancy, but something decent and moderately safe.

Just adding: we have no kids or pets. We are 100% remote. The only sort of subscription we would need is a gym. We are very much outside people and we don’t have any lavish spending habits aside from very occasionally eating out

Hi, I wanted to see if anyone knew of any apartments or apartment homes in the following areas with amenities. If you could also provide the price, that’d be lovely. We are looking for

Amenities:
- $2.5-$2.8k (willing to go pay more for the right apartment)
- 1 bed room with additional loft or den
- 1+ bathroom
- in unit washer and dryer
- updated appliances
- * a plus but not needed: an attached garage, two sinks in bathroom

Location based on priority:
- Serra Mesa
- Carmel Mountain
- Carmel Valley
- Tierrasanta
- Mira Mar
- Mira Mesa
- Poway
- Chula Vista
- Eastlake
- Otay Ranch

I want to try and avoid downtown, imperial beach, and mission/fashion valley due to the floods. But with the right apartment, we might adjust our hunt! We also don’t really care about swimming pools, gyms, etc.

* we did find one that was 2.8k in a good location with all the amenities we wanted. just wanted to see if there were any more options!

I accepted a new role at my company and will need to relocate from Utah to San Diego by March. I’ll be working out of La Mesa.

We are currently researching and exploring neighborhoods which will work for our family, Google and YouTube searches all come up with different answers. So I’m hoping to get some insight from families in similar situations as us.

We have two kids which are in elementary currently (kindergarten and 1st grade), and our number one priority is to be in an area with a great elementary school for them. I don’t mind a 45+ min commute, and we are looking at renting a 3br 2ba house/apartment for around $4,500. Would love to get feedback on areas to explore.

Hi

We are looking to buy a home and are looking at these two pockets. We have two kids. We want a place with good community feel, especially for our kids and really good schools.

We were set on Carmel valley and then read about how the schools are ultra competitive and it’s essentially super rich people in those schools. Kinda reminded me of Palo Alto in norther California, not sure if anyone from NorCal in CV can chime in?
We don’t want that kind of atmosphere. We do want good schools but not where the pressure is there and everything is competitive and has that super rich feel to it (not sure if that makes sense). That’s why we started looking at scripps ranch area but don’t like how east it is.

Wondering if anyone has experience with these two areas and what I described. We also wanted to be closer to the beach, hence we were leaving more CV.

Thank you

Please stop encouraging people to move here, it’s crowded enough as it is. There are not enough affordable houses available for single families to purchase. The freeway traffic is getting worse every year. There are not enough good paying jobs for the people who already live here. The list goes on and on… Just stop.

Hello everyone,

I'm new in the city, and also in the country, and I'm interested in buying a car. Since I've just arrived, I don't have credit history yet, and neither too much money to buy a new car.

Which would be the better way a get a reliable used car? Can I buy an used car in a car dealership? Do you recommend Facebook marketplace to buy a car? Do you know anyone who is selling a car?

I would really appreciate it if you could give me any advise on this.

Thanks

Hello! My name is Ceilly, and I am a dental hygiene student at Southwestern College in San Diego, CA.

I am currently looking for patients who haven't had a dental cleaning for 5+ years and may need a deep cleaning due to heavy buildup (calculus/tartar).

All services are completely FREE. Please note that this is a school setting, so appointments may take 2–4 hours and will require multiple visits.

If you are interested, please complete this Google form:

https://forms.gle/avJ8Qeo7NG4JEXto8

Thank you so much for your time and interest!

Hey everyone. I'm looking to move to San Diego from the East coast but my main thing is looking for a job there. I have some previous experience in hospitality and I've worked a few office jobs including sales rep but not too sure where that experience would land me on the West coast. If anyone had any options or knows any jobs hiring, please let me know. I plan to move with my 3y/o so if there are any general safe areas you know also I would be very open to hear your options. Thanks all.