Cost of utilities in San Diego? (apartment, HOA fees, car insurance)

[Jukathia]

Hi Everyone,

it is currently around -6°C or 20°F here in Hamburg, and I have had it! Enough with the cold and the rain all year! So I am currently researching alternatives. Since I am somewhat on a budget, I have a few questions about living in San Diego and any help would be greatly appreciated! Here it goes:

How much is the average cost of utilities (water, gas, electricity plus whatever cost might be considered to fall in this category) a month for an urban 1 bedroom apartment?

It seems possible, albeit difficult, to find a somewhat decent place for less then $1000, especially since I don't need much room, but I have no idea how much these extras would be. Here in Germany, I pay about €125/month (about $180) on top of my rent, is that somewhat comparable?

Oh, and bonus-question : I realize that this would be almost impossible to answer, but maybe you can help me... I plan on buying a car, a small hatchback, something like a Nissan Versa or Ford Focus, for less than $10.000, so it would probably be about 3-5 years old. I am female, 28, (perfect driving record for ten years, but that might not count, since it is over here). Is there any way to estimate how much the insurance would be?

Thank you for your time and answers!

Julia

[oBak]

Our utilities (San Diego Gas & Electric) are usually $40-55 in the winter, $60-85 in the summer.
We don't pay for water or trash in our apartment, just SDGE.

For insurance, probably around $110 a month.

[Jukathia]

Very helpful information ! Thank You!

[Euseys]

I have a 2,000 sq foot home in a modern subdivision.

Right now, its 67 degrees in my house, I dont turn the heat on until it drops to 66...I lost my full time job, I am solely a Passion Party consultant, doing in-home parties. Its good work, but "doesnt pay the bills".

Our electric bill is around $80 a month. Working only with passion parties, the TV is on a lot during the day, as I scan the internet and do the office work related to Passion Parties. If I got a full time job, the bill would drop because the TV wouldnt be on during business hours.

Our Monthly bills: water bill is $40, (We use 3 units of water- the average usage is 10) trash is picked up every week, we pay $30 every 2 months. Telephone service is $100 for two cell phones and one land line. Cable and internet are in a basic no frills package for $100, and we have Mello Roos (additional taxes to pay for the new roads, schools, parks) which adds a LOT to our mortgage. 1/3 of the mortgage payment goes to that, and property taxes are another chunk. The Home Owner Association Fees are another $108 per month...

When you settle on a place, check that there are NO home owner assoc. fees and no mello roos.
I did not fully understand these bills and they were not clearly explained to me when I bought-- we're a US military family came in from Europe, I budgeted carefully to buy "this much house", but now we're treading water because the mello roos and HOA fees pushed the budget out of whack.

It doesnt help that Passion Parties is my only income, hopefully that will change soon.

Hope this helps, I hope my honest disclosure and intimate sharing of our bills and monthly picture helps you get a fuller view of the costs and rewards of living and owning a home in San Diego.

I love my home, my community, San Diego

[Jukathia]

Yes, Your information is very helpful to me! I am assessing my situation right now, trying to figure out what makes sense and what I can afford, so any input is greatly appreciated! After selling my business at the end of last year and my personal life more or less falling apart, I am financially and socially at a point where I NEED something new, so I thought: Why not go to school, get that degree you started but never finished and do it somewhere nice... However, getting a clear picture of the cost of this endeavor is frustratingly complicated! So I am very grateful for the information you shared! Have a great day! Julia

[cruitr]

Originally Posted by Euseys

I have a 2,000 sq foot home in a modern subdivision.

Right now, its 67 degrees in my house, I dont turn the heat on until it drops to 66...I lost my full time job, I am solely a Passion Party consultant, doing in-home parties. Its good work, but "doesnt pay the bills".

What's a Passion Party?

[oBak]

I've heard they are like tupperware parties but with adult toys instead of tupperware.

[Jukathia]

is valuable information... Thanks!

[cruitr]

Originally Posted by oBak

I've heard they are like tupperware parties but with adult toys instead of tupperware.

Hmmm... an adult toy party. Guess you could warm the house on body heat. Save on the utility bill.

[kettlepot]

Regarding car insurance, someone on this website several years ago, posted about having his European insurance company proving a letter or reference, and transferring his driving history over to his US auto insurance company so his rates wouldn't be based on his being a newly-licensed driver. I'm not sure of the details for how to do this, try doing a search of this site. However, in my experience with the Search function you'll get a bazillion of hits, none of them very useful. Still, the cost savings could be several hundred dollars a year.