Moving To California... (San Diego, Chula Vista, El Cajon: for sale, apartments, rental)

[Maddogg765]

Hi, I'm sending a feeler out to see if anyone can answer a few question for me about California. I currently live in Ohio and I've had the last winter that I plan on ever taking. I am looking for a move, preferably to Southern California, and need a few questions answered. First of all, the cost of living. What are the cost of basic needs out there such as food, gas, etc. Is it pretty much on par with the rest of the country? For example, I pay $2.50 for a gallon of milk here and $3.00 for a gallon of gas.

And how about cost of living? I am only looking to move into an apartment and am looking for something, even something very small that's no more than $850 a month. Any suggestions on cities around San Diego that may provide such a thing? And also, I am currently doing a job search for a job in that area. I am not particularly skilled in any one thing but I am looking to latch onto something that could perhaps be career-oriented. Any suggestions? I check Monster and stuff, but that doesn't always have everything. Anyhow, any other tips or suggestions that someone could give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[NYSD1995]

Definitely spend some time reading through the older posts, there have been a lot of discussions on this subject.

Generally, gas and water will be higher here. Insurance will be cheaper. State income taxes may be higher. Food in general is plentiful and cheap here with excellent selection.

For-sale housing is expensive but rents tend to be low compared to other CA cities. The 800-1000/mo mark is going to put you into the "block-by-block, apartment-by-apartment" range, but there are lots of options, especially for studios.

Job market is strong here, however salaries tend to be a little bit lower than other high-cost cities. There are a lot of service industry jobs as this is a tourist town with a full range of accomodations and amenities.

[CrissCT]

We made the move from Cleveland to San Diego 3 years ago. Everything is more expensive here (milk around $3.69/gallon, cereal around $2 more per box). If you own a pet, plan to spend double on your vet bill. Salaries are not any higher here. The weather is awesome but I actually miss the seasons (except this Feb.-April time in Ohio when you get so sick of winter you think you cannot take another day of it). Other positives are the mountains and the ocean all so close. You'll also save on heating/cooling bills here because of the mild weather.

I suggest you take a trip out here and see how you like it. It really is like another world compared to Ohio.

[RD5050]

Check San Diego's Craigslist to see various costs of rental housing:

craigslist: san diego classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events

They also have a good employment section.

Craigslist is an extremely useful resource for anyone relocating to San Diego.

Regarding cost of living in San Diego ... yes housing can be expensive. 1/BR Apartments are in the $900 - $1200 range. All depends on what section you choose to live in. You can find smaller studio apartments (living room is also your bedroom) for around $650 - $850.

There is no tax on groceries, so that is also a savings. California has some great grocery stores with excellent food choices. Liquor (wine, beer, etc) is sold in nearly all supermarkets, so no need to make a separate trip. California is home to many vineyards, so the wine selections are excellent.

[jksouthbay88]

From Ohio to Southern California I think everything is expensive.When I went to Cleveland last year I remember about all the downtown parking lots where no more than 3 dollars for one day!!!The cheapest here might be five or eight.Like mentioned above there are some in the 900 range in places like the East County and the SBay.Maybe even more urbanish areas like Clairmont,Linda Vista,Balboa.The milk and cereal are very true but gas prices vary.Down here in the SBay gas is around 285 a gallon right now compared to the county average of like 302 or something.East county might be a little higher(around 289) but these two mega-regions always have the cheapest gas prices.

East County cites or areas may include:El Cajon,Lemon Grove,Santee,Spring Valley/La Presa,La Mesa,Lakeside,and Ramona.
South Bay cities or areas may include:National City,Chula Vista/Bonita,IB,South San Diego(part of the city of San Diego)

I really doubt you can get a place like Tierrasanta,North County,or the Mid-Coast like MB and La Jolla for around 900 dollars.Correct me if I'm wrong please.

[cnkad]

If I were you, my main concern, or maybe priority I should say (if you decide you want to make the move) would be to find a job. Then you can just look for an apt. as close to your work as you can. That would save you a lot of gas money and commute hassle. And as a young single person (im making assumptions here) I would say you could live almost anywhere you found a job. I mean, you dont have to worry about good schools or a great place for kids or that sort of thing. Most of the single people my husband worked with lived very close to there jobs and road bikes or walked to work. Makes life a little simpler.