New York or San Diego

Based on 2026 cost of living data, New York is more affordable than San Diego. New York has a cost rating of 10/100, while San Diego has a cost rating of 78/100.

In terms of safety, San Diego ranks higher with a safety score of 75/100, compared to New York at 84/100. New York's safety score is 75/100 and San Diego's safety score is 84/100.

Average rent in New York is typically $4,000+ per month, whereas typical rent in San Diego averages $2,100 - $2,750 per month.

For New York, the visa process is rated as: Hard (US visa lottery and specialty visas are highly competitive.). For San Diego, the process is rated as: Life Sciences & Genomics Visa Sponsorship (Heavy H-1B, O-1, and EB-1/EB-2 Green Card sponsorship across UC San Diego, Salk Institute, Scripps, and 600+ biotech firms.).