A new SmartAsset study shows it requires $79,324 after taxes to live comfortably in the San Diego metro area.
"America's Finest City" ranks second on the list of the 25 Largest Metro Areas.
A comfortable lifestyle is different for everyone. The study used the 50/30/20 rule to define a comfortable lifestyle.
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“The idea here is that you're going to divide your incomes in into three broad expenditure categories," said University of San Diego Economics Professor Alan Gin.
"So, 50% on needs, the things that you have to absolutely have to pay like shelter and food and things like that; 30% on wants, these would be luxury type of things, gym memberships, like going out to eat, things along those lines; and then finally, 20% in terms of savings and investment,” Professor Gin said.
The price of housing is a large reason why it requires a large salary to live comfortably.
“A large part of that is driven by the high cost of housing. We have really high housing prices here in San Diego. So, part of being able to live comfortably is to be able to afford, you know, a place to live,” Gin said.
Myriad San Diegans disagree with the findings.
“I would say at least $100,000, I pay over $2,000 in rent and that’s just to live by myself for a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment,” resident Michelle Bobb said.
It's not hard to find San Diegans who believe that the salary required to live comfortably in the city will continue to rise.
“San Diego calls itself America's Finest City and, and a lot of aspects we are, it's a really desirable place to live and so people want to live here, that drives the cost of living here up,” Gin said.
High costs have San Diegans considering moving.
"I will probably leave," said resident Tricia Comey.
"I'm already trying to find opportunities in other places. It is such a beautiful place to live in. It's unfortunate that more of us don't feel included in that lifestyle because a lot of people work really hard to raise their family here and it just seems harder and harder," Comey said.
San Francisco tops the list for another year, requiring $84,026 to live comfortably. St. Louis, Missouri, ranks as the most affordable among the 25 largest metro areas, according to SmartAsset.
