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Apartments for rent in San Diego, CA

Living in San Diego

San Diego offers coastal living at its finest with year-round sunshine and stunning beaches. Renters can explore trendy neighborhoods like Downtown or Little Italy for modern apartments near restaurants and nightlife or opt for beachfront options in Pacific Beach or La Jolla. Families often choose areas like Carmel Valley or Del Mar for their excellent schools and quiet streets. Known for its booming biotech industry alongside tourism and military presence, San Diego provides career opportunities paired with an unbeatable lifestyle filled with outdoor activities.

Life in San Diego

Average rental prices

Studio
$2,518
1 Bedroom
$3,046
2 Bedroom
$3,905
3 Bedroom
$4,835

Great for

  • Beach lovers
  • Young professionals in biotech/military industries
  • Families seeking suburban charm

Best Apartments in San Diego

Renters like you rated these apartments highly or rented them more often than other apartments in the area.

Apartment Deals in your area

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Apartment List vs Traditional Search Websites

It’s everything the old way of finding an apartment isn’t.

Benefits of using Apartment List:

  • Apartment Listing Cards Illustration

    Apartment searching that doesn’t suck.

    Apartment List transforms rental search into a guided journey — not an ad-driven scroll-fest. We help you move forward with clarity, ease, and confidence.

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    Transparency and Support

    Transparent info. Reliable support — text properties 24/7*. We obsess over peace of mind, not page views.

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    You Win, We Win Business Model.

    Unlike traditional apartment search websites who get paid for clicks, we win when renters win.

Feature Comparison Table

A comparison table showing features available with Apartment List versus other sites. Checkmarks indicate available features, X marks indicate unavailable features.
Personalized Matches
Personalized Matches: 'Available with Apartment List
Personalized Matches: Not available with other sites
Updated Listings**
Updated Listings**: 'Available with Apartment List
Updated Listings**: Not available with other sites
Built for Mobile
Built for Mobile: 'Available with Apartment List
Built for Mobile: Not available with other sites
Tour Instantly***
Tour Instantly***: 'Available with Apartment List
Tour Instantly***: Not available with other sites
We Win When You Do
We Win When You Do: 'Available with Apartment List
We Win When You Do: Not available with other sites
* Text 24/7 is enabled for 95% of properties marked as “verified” and is available for registered users** Listings updated daily. Pertains to properties we have direct contact with, marked as “verified”. Properties that are displayed via third-party listing feeds might not have that functionality*** Half of verified properties on our website have instant booking functionality

User Testimonials

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"Very efficient and user friendly search tool for finding your next home!"
Tobi T.
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Rental pricing trends in San Diego, CA

The average rent for a 1 bedroom apartment in San Diego, CA is $3,046, while the average rent for a 2 bedroom apartment is $3,905.

Rent rates updated 1 day ago. Averages are based on the rental prices of properties listed on Apartment List.

How many bedrooms do you need?
Availability of rentals by price
Rental Price Graph
1 Bedroom
$0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9,0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average rent
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9,0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Units available
0%Rent trend (YoY)(for all bed counts)

Best Time to Rent in San Diego, CA

Discover the optimal times to rent in your city based on seasonal market insights*, helping you make informed decisions and get the best value.

Chart showing rental market conditions trends over 12 months. Data points: Jan: Low, Feb: Low, Mar: Moderate, Apr: Moderate, May: High, June: High, July: Highest, Aug: High, Sept: Moderate, Oct: Lower, Nov: Low, Dec: Lowest

Insights for San Diego, CA

San Diego’s rental demand peaks in coastal neighborhoods like Pacific Beach and La Jolla, with the biotech and military sectors driving turnover. East County offers more affordable options, and revitalized areas are attracting more young professionals. For unique or centrally located units, start your search early.

* Insights are based on relative assessments provided by Perplexity AI.

Luxury spaces you'll love

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FAQs answered by renters in San Diego, CA

Renting in San Diego: Tips and local insights

Navigate apartment hunting and city life like a local with our curated articles about San Diego, California.

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    Apartment Moving

    25 Things to Know Before Moving to San Diego [2025]

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    Apartment Hunting

    26 Cities Near San Diego, CA to Live in 2025

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    Data & Rent Estimates

    Cost of Living in San Diego, CA [2024]

    Read full story

Renter Satisfaction

Apartment List has released San Diego’s results from the third annual Apartment List Renter Satisfaction Survey. This survey, which drew on responses from over 45,000 renters, provides insight on what states and cities must do to meet the needs of 111 million American renters nationwide.

"San Diego renters expressed general satisfaction with the city overall," according to Apartment List. "With expensive rents in coastal cities, it comes as no surprise that cost of living is a source of dissatisfaction in San Diego."

  • Overall80%
  • Weather100%
  • Safety80%
  • Recreation80%
  • Schools70%
  • Dating70%
  • Commute time50%
  • Pet friendly50%
  • Career40%
  • Public transit40%
  • Taxes30%
  • Affordability10%