Moving from San Diego, CA to Seattle, WA
San Diego to Seattle is a move of about 1,292 miles. Median rent is $2,000 a month in Seattle and $2,246 in San Diego, and the median home is $717,500 against $854,700. Seattle has no state income tax, against up to 13.30% in San Diego. Property tax runs 0.85% of home value in Seattle and 0.68% in San Diego.
Moving to Seattle costs about
$970/mo
less than San Diego each month, renting on a $80,000 household income
Not your income? Run it on your own numbers
Worth knowing
A cheaper house in Seattle, a bigger property tax bill
The median home in Seattle costs $717,500 against $854,700 in San Diego, but you would pay about $6,092 a year in property tax rather than $5,778. The rate more than cancels the lower price.
San Diego vs Seattle at a glance
| San Diego | Seattle | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $854,700 | $717,500 |
| Median rent | $2,246/mo | $2,000/mo |
| State income tax | Up to 13.30% | No state income tax |
| Property tax rate | 0.68% | 0.85% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 108 | 104 |
| Utilities | 174 | 93 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
Monthly cost of living: San Diego vs Seattle
| Monthly | San Diego | Seattle | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent) | $2,246 | $2,000 | -$246 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income tax | $298 | $0 | -$298 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $121 | $103 | -$18 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,979 | $1,906 | -$73 |
| Utilities | $712 | $379 | -$333 |
| Total | -$968 | ||
Cost to move from San Diego to Seattle
$2,600 to $5,700
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $750 to $1,100, against roughly $400 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 3-day trip yourself.
Housing and everyday prices here are for the metro area. Income and sales tax are set by state law and have no metro equivalent, so those come from California and Washington. Compare the whole states instead to see how each metro sits against the state it is in.
Run this with your own numbers
What jobs pay in Seattle, after the cost of living
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Housing and price figures are metro-area medians or averages; income and sales tax are statewide. Neither will match any particular household.