Moving to & from San Diego, CA
San Diego ranks #11/50 on BLS wages and #9/50 on mean outbound 2BR, both top tercile.
Get cost updates for this metro (RSS)
High-wage, high-cost metro
According to PlainMove's metro corpus, San Diego ranks #11 of 50 tracked metros by BLS-modeled base hourly rate (highest USD/hr = #1) and #9 of 50 by mean outbound 2-bedroom modeled cost (highest USD = #1). Modeled mean outbound 2BR is $3,062 across 49 origin routes (high depth vs corpus p33=0/p66=2).
- $3,062
- Mean outbound 2BR (modeled)
- 49
- Origin routes priced
- #11/50
- BLS base hourly (highest=#1)
- #9/50
- Mean outbound 2BR (highest=#1)
Figures are BLS OES wage-and-distance model outputs, not carrier quotes. Confirm any mover at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov.
San Diego's dual high ranks: wages #11/50, outbound 2BR #9/50
San Diego (1,386,932 people, West) sits in the top wage and outbound-cost terciles, BLS base $21/hr (#11/50) and mean outbound 2BR $3,062 (#9/50) across 49 origin / 49 inbound priced corridors (nearest 25 each way listed below).
BLS base $21/hr · wage index 120% · mean outbound miles 1,522 · inbound 1,522. Cheapest outbound 2BR: Los Angeles, CA $720; dearest: Honolulu, HI $5,183. Modeled only, get FMCSA binding quotes.
San Diego moving value score
A single 0-100 verdict combining San Diego's standing on 2 of 2 cost measures against every other tracked city.
20/100
Percentile-weighted across 2 of 2 measures
- Labor rate
- F · 29th percentile
- Modeled 2BR move cost
- F · 10th percentile
Moving from San Diego
| Destination | Miles | Studio | 1BR | 2BR | 3BR | 4BR+ | $/mi (2BR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| → Los Angeles, CA | 111 | $287 | $380 | $720 | $949 | $1,418 | $6.49 |
| → Las Vegas, NV | 265 | $496 | $589 | $995 | $1,224 | $1,760 | $3.75 |
| → Phoenix, AZ | 299 | $542 | $635 | $1,056 | $1,285 | $1,835 | $3.53 |
| → Tucson, AZ | 362 | $628 | $720 | $1,169 | $1,398 | $1,975 | $3.23 |
| → San Jose, CA | 416 | $701 | $794 | $1,265 | $1,494 | $2,094 | $3.04 |
| → San Francisco, CA | 458 | $758 | $851 | $1,340 | $1,569 | $2,188 | $2.93 |
| → Sacramento, CA | 473 | $778 | $871 | $1,367 | $1,596 | $2,221 | $2.89 |
| → Albuquerque, NM | 624 | $983 | $1,076 | $1,637 | $1,866 | $2,555 | $2.62 |
| → El Paso, TX | 627 | $909 | $997 | $1,501 | $1,714 | $2,331 | $2.39 |
| → Salt Lake City, UT | 627 | $987 | $1,080 | $1,643 | $1,871 | $2,562 | $2.62 |
| → Denver, CO | 833 | $1,267 | $1,360 | $2,011 | $2,239 | $3,019 | $2.41 |
| → Portland, OR | 931 | $1,400 | $1,493 | $2,186 | $2,415 | $3,236 | $2.35 |
| → Seattle, WA | 1,064 | $1,581 | $1,674 | $2,424 | $2,652 | $3,531 | $2.28 |
| → San Antonio, TX | 1,126 | $1,534 | $1,621 | $2,313 | $2,526 | $3,330 | $2.05 |
| → Oklahoma City, OK | 1,138 | $1,549 | $1,636 | $2,332 | $2,545 | $3,354 | $2.05 |
| → Austin, TX | 1,155 | $1,570 | $1,658 | $2,360 | $2,573 | $3,388 | $2.04 |
| → Dallas, TX | 1,182 | $1,604 | $1,691 | $2,404 | $2,617 | $3,442 | $2.03 |
| → Houston, TX | 1,301 | $1,753 | $1,840 | $2,598 | $2,810 | $3,680 | $2.00 |
| → Omaha, NE | 1,307 | $1,785 | $1,874 | $2,649 | $2,864 | $3,755 | $2.03 |
| → Kansas City, MO | 1,334 | $1,820 | $1,908 | $2,694 | $2,909 | $3,810 | $2.02 |
| → Minneapolis, MN | 1,531 | $2,069 | $2,158 | $3,019 | $3,235 | $4,212 | $1.97 |
| → Memphis, TN | 1,558 | $2,074 | $2,162 | $3,016 | $3,228 | $4,195 | $1.94 |
| → St. Louis, MO | 1,561 | $2,108 | $2,196 | $3,069 | $3,284 | $4,273 | $1.97 |
| → New Orleans, LA | 1,606 | $2,134 | $2,222 | $3,094 | $3,306 | $4,291 | $1.93 |
| → Chicago, IL | 1,732 | $2,325 | $2,413 | $3,352 | $3,567 | $4,621 | $1.94 |
Moving to San Diego
| Origin | Miles | Studio | 1BR | 2BR | 3BR | 4BR+ | $/mi (2BR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA → | 111 | $287 | $380 | $720 | $949 | $1,418 | $6.49 |
| Las Vegas, NV → | 265 | $496 | $589 | $995 | $1,224 | $1,760 | $3.75 |
| Phoenix, AZ → | 299 | $542 | $635 | $1,056 | $1,285 | $1,835 | $3.53 |
| Tucson, AZ → | 362 | $628 | $720 | $1,169 | $1,398 | $1,975 | $3.23 |
| San Jose, CA → | 416 | $701 | $794 | $1,265 | $1,494 | $2,094 | $3.04 |
| San Francisco, CA → | 458 | $758 | $851 | $1,340 | $1,569 | $2,188 | $2.93 |
| Sacramento, CA → | 473 | $778 | $871 | $1,367 | $1,596 | $2,221 | $2.89 |
| Albuquerque, NM → | 624 | $983 | $1,076 | $1,637 | $1,866 | $2,555 | $2.62 |
| El Paso, TX → | 627 | $909 | $997 | $1,501 | $1,714 | $2,331 | $2.39 |
| Salt Lake City, UT → | 627 | $987 | $1,080 | $1,643 | $1,871 | $2,562 | $2.62 |
| Denver, CO → | 833 | $1,267 | $1,360 | $2,011 | $2,239 | $3,019 | $2.41 |
| Portland, OR → | 931 | $1,400 | $1,493 | $2,186 | $2,415 | $3,236 | $2.35 |
| Seattle, WA → | 1,064 | $1,581 | $1,674 | $2,424 | $2,652 | $3,531 | $2.28 |
| San Antonio, TX → | 1,126 | $1,534 | $1,621 | $2,313 | $2,526 | $3,330 | $2.05 |
| Oklahoma City, OK → | 1,138 | $1,549 | $1,636 | $2,332 | $2,545 | $3,354 | $2.05 |
| Austin, TX → | 1,155 | $1,570 | $1,658 | $2,360 | $2,573 | $3,388 | $2.04 |
| Dallas, TX → | 1,182 | $1,604 | $1,691 | $2,404 | $2,617 | $3,442 | $2.03 |
| Houston, TX → | 1,301 | $1,753 | $1,840 | $2,598 | $2,810 | $3,680 | $2.00 |
| Omaha, NE → | 1,307 | $1,785 | $1,874 | $2,649 | $2,864 | $3,755 | $2.03 |
| Kansas City, MO → | 1,334 | $1,820 | $1,908 | $2,694 | $2,909 | $3,810 | $2.02 |
| Minneapolis, MN → | 1,531 | $2,069 | $2,158 | $3,019 | $3,235 | $4,212 | $1.97 |
| Memphis, TN → | 1,558 | $2,074 | $2,162 | $3,016 | $3,228 | $4,195 | $1.94 |
| St. Louis, MO → | 1,561 | $2,108 | $2,196 | $3,069 | $3,284 | $4,273 | $1.97 |
| New Orleans, LA → | 1,606 | $2,134 | $2,222 | $3,094 | $3,306 | $4,291 | $1.93 |
| Chicago, IL → | 1,732 | $2,325 | $2,413 | $3,352 | $3,567 | $4,621 | $1.94 |
Other-state peers near San Diego's wage and outbound cost
Long-haul vs local from San Diego
Local vs. Long-Distance
49 outbound routes, when mileage rules change
What to do with San Diego's numbers
Compare a real route, then get quotes
- The cheapest outbound route from San Diego is to Los Angeles, CA ($720); the priciest is to Honolulu, HI ($5,183).
- San Diego's average outbound 2BR cost is $3,062 (#9 of 50 tracked metros). Household size and distance change the real figure, see the route table above.
- Get at least three binding estimates from FMCSA-registered carriers before booking. PlainMove does not publish carrier records. See methodology for how these estimates are built.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to move to or from San Diego?
Modeled mean outbound 2BR from San Diego is $3,062 (#9/50 in corpus) with BLS base $21/hr (#11/50). Binding FMCSA quotes still set the real price.
What affects moving costs from San Diego?
Labor dominates here: BLS base $21/hr (#11/50) and wage index 120%. Distance, home size, and summer season still stack on top.
Where does San Diego's cost model come from?
Wage height is the story here (#11/50). Estimates use BLS OES 2023 SOC 53-7062 wages × haversine miles; Census population is separate. No mover referral fees.