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Beaches in Hawaii are unbeatable. San Diego has great beaches, but the water is dark blue, cool and no tropical vibe. Honolulu is warmer and more humid, sunnier too, and is truly tropical, with a Polynesian/Asian Vibe. California is dry and usually cooler, more of a Mexican and Mediterranean vibe and has a sub-arid climate.
After vacationing in Hawaii for most of my life and then going to San Diego to see relatives I was surprised at how desert it is and how cold the ocean was in July. I didn't find much in common with Honolulu in my opinion.
Beaches in Hawaii are unbeatable. San Diego has great beaches, but the water is dark blue, cool and no tropical vibe. Honolulu is warmer and more humid, sunnier too, and is truly tropical, with a Polynesian/Asian Vibe. California is dry and usually cooler, more of a Mexican and Mediterranean vibe and has a sub-arid climate.
Agreed. The downtown skylines on the water with the mountains in the background are somewhat similar but it pretty much ends there. The weather, scenery, vibe, etc. is just so very different. One obvious difference I noticed was how much greener Honolulu is than San Diego - obviously reflecting their different climates. Another difference is that Honolulu's beaches are right along its downtown. San Diego's downtown is on the harbor and the beaches are more remotely located.
I've lived on Oahu for 15 years and now live in San Diego. The biggest difference for me is the weather at this time of year, it's much cooler here in SD than I remember on Oahu. The mountains in Hawaii are amazingly beautiful and because it's an island, they are much closer than in SD; therefore when you are out on the water the nearness and beauty of the mountains is striking.
Prices for just about everything is more in Hawaii and that can be a real downer. Also, if you are a Californian married to the car, driving can be a little monotonous on Oahu, where in California (SD), you can drive for hours and not go in circles.
The people can be friendly or obnoxious in either place, although I do find the Aloha spirit much more prevalent on the islands. San Diego, it appears to me, people are working hard to survive; whereas the same dynamic is probably happening on Oahu, but it doesnt feel as apparent.
I miss Hawaii and have made up my mind that I will probably return next year, not sure for how long; my friends, Church and "Spirit" are still there. And since I'm retired with a decent annuity, working is not as urgent for me, but I have maintained my Hawaii RE license, so I can always revert back to that if needed.
We just got back from our annual HI trip and also visited San Diego in July, so things are pretty fresh in my mind. I agree with all of the differences posted which may be pros or cons etc. to each. The only thing that we could not put our finger on with San Diego overall is that it looked almost too clean, new, fake or something. Even the highways were very clean and nicely landscaped. Keep in mind, our 1st hotel was in Kearny Mesa which is a relatively industrial area which also has many many Asian restaurants, supermarkets etc. (Japanese wife) When we were driving around all over the County it just seemed very sterile? or something. Not a bad thing, very clean, new and fresh looking. Compared to Honolulu which is maybe older or less kept up, it looked that way. Other than that, we clearly see the pros and cons and San Diego is No. 2 on the list. Oahu is No. 1 by quite a margin. 3rd and 4th spots are not even close but probably better than NJ where we live now and will continue for another 11 years or so. Maybe someone can give a better descriptor of what we experienced.
Big plus for San Diego: the number of excellent Mexican restaurants.
I like the weather better in San Diego, but that would be a matter of opinion. If you are looking in the best areas with the best weather (within a couple miles of the beaches), prices for real estate are way up there, probably getting up with Hawaiian prices, but yards will be bigger.
A big plus for Hawaii, I adore the flowered shirts and leis.
I lived in San Diego for ten years and for the last twenty five years on Oahu. It's like comparing two different flavors of the best ice cream in the world. The weather is better in San Diego during the summer, and better in Honolulu the rest of the year. There is more entertainment, variety, and activity in Southern California than there is here. Is that what you want? Beaches? San Diego doesn't have beaches -- it has shoreline. Hawaii has beaches! So what exactly do you want? They are the two best places in the world to live as far as I'm concerned. Certainly the two most expensive, that's for sure, but different in many ways. If you're worried about expenses, you can live in Mississippi or Arkansas.
A huge draw for San Diego where many people in Oahu relocate is housing - after the real estate meltdown, a typical $650K single family home in San Diego would typically be $1,000,000 or more in a good neighborhood on Oahu - and you often have an opportunity to increase your salary by 30% or more which easily offsets the higher state tax rates and property tax.
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