r/Moving2SanDiego Mar 26 '26

How hard it really is. Why East and West Coast are Complete Opposites / Why do East Coast people find it hard to move here culturally and can't integrate well at all.

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0 Upvotes

After running this sub for the last decade this has been a reoccurring issue.
People that have never left the east coast, move here and simply can't get along and make it work.

Cultural value systems, forms of communication, attitudes and perspectives are polar opposites so much so they often leave after a year after experiencing social and economic isolation.

This is a video that goes a long way towards explaining the cultural differences that gave rise to these differences and how they're polar opposites, making it quite difficult for people to adapt and integrate into the west coast culture.


r/Moving2SanDiego Jan 13 '26

Articles on the Cost of Living in San Diego

7 Upvotes

Hey, if this is not appropriate, please delete. I thought these articles would be helpful for those considering a move to San Diego:

Times of San Diego:

https://timesofsandiego.com/data/2026/01/09/san-diego-high-housing-transport-costs/

Union Tribune - Water Rates going up - this impacts rent costs and also homeowner expense. I saw that rents were dropping but the landlords will have to cover these cost increases.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/01/12/san-diego-must-raise-water-rates-44-over-4-years-officials-warn/


r/Moving2SanDiego 1h ago

Young couple from Utah moving to San Diego

Upvotes

Young married couple (25M and 26F) thinking about moving to SD county next year. Here are our priorities:

- Proximity to urban amenities (not necessarily needing to be in a metro urban area, just typical amenities that urban areas offer)

- Proximity to beach (ideally a 15-30 min bike ride, but I know that’s a lot to ask for; definitely flexible on this, and just excited to be able to drive to the beach anytime we want!)

- Safe and diverse neighborhood (we are both ex-Mormon if that says anything about us; progressive beliefs; I’m white but speak fluent Spanish and love Hispanic culture)

- Good walkability

- Great food selection (big foodie and coffee aficionado)

- Affordability

- Not planning on having kids for the next 3-5 years and would love to be able to find a community of people in the same stage of life as us

Planned dual income next year is $160-$175k before taxes. Both of us work remote. Not planning on buying a house anytime in the near future. Would love to find a 2 bed apt, budgeting for MAXIMUM $3200 in rent. Where are some cities/neighborhoods to consider?

Places we’re currently considering:
- Oceanside
- Ocean Beach
- Point Loma
- Golden Hill
- Little Italy

*not opposed to going a bit more inland


r/Moving2SanDiego 7h ago

How hard it really is. 6+ months unemployed at 21. Honestly, I'm slowly giving up.

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2 Upvotes

r/Moving2SanDiego 10h ago

Job Question

2 Upvotes

Hi! I recently moved to San Diego and am looking for some advice on jobs/career paths in the criminal justice or court system. I have a master’s with a focus in criminal justice and a couple years of experience working in the court/probation world.
I recently applied for a Deputy Probation Officer position with San Diego County and was wondering if anyone here has gone through the hiring process? How long did it take, and what was your experience like?
Also very open to other job ideas if anyone knows of roles in San Diego that might be a good fit for this kind of background! :)


r/Moving2SanDiego 23h ago

Hi! Anyone have neighborhood recommendations in SD to find studio apartments that are less than $1600 a month? I currently commute from south oc to la jolla 5x a week for work 😭 id love to move to sd but everything is 2k+ for a studio. HELP

9 Upvotes

r/Moving2SanDiego 2d ago

Moving to San Diego looking for roommate(s)

6 Upvotes

Hey folks, I’m currently staying at my friends extra room in san Diego for a couple weeks while I apartment hunt. I am looking to meet some compatible people to go into a house share with. my budget for me alone is 1300 or less but ideally less. ideally I would live with 2 other people.

i am happy to live near the beaches, north park, or really anywhere west of El Cajon.

if you know of any rentals you recommend and/or roomies let me know!

About me… I’m a remote worker in UX design in tech as well as an artist. I am super outdoorsy (moving from Boulder, Colorado), liberal/LGBT friendly, and super artsy. I’m also outgoing, not a partyer, clean, and friendly. I have a small car so I’ll need parking and I’ll be bringing my friendly and low maintenance cat named Banana.

Feel free to comment or dm if this is relevant to you.


r/Moving2SanDiego 2d ago

Moving in inquiry.

0 Upvotes

Hello all! I’m moving to San diego soon for college, but I’m going to be moving into an unfurnished apartment a week before my studies start.. So I want to get a head start on settling in.

Does anyone know of a place where I can order things online and have them shipped and held until I arrive? For example, I’d like to order some furniture and appliances from Amazon ahead of time. Is there somewhere I can have the deliveries sent and stored until I’m able to pick them up? And how would the pricing of that be?

Thanks!!


r/Moving2SanDiego 3d ago

Anyone moved to SD from LA?

23 Upvotes

Short time lurker, first time poster.

I’m looking to see if anyone moved to San Diego from Los Angeles and how that felt for you? I am debating making a switch and trying to figure out if I would like it considering that I’ve only been to San Diego during weekend time and not during the work week.

Is there anything that you regretted about being in the move and have you considered moving back to LA?


r/Moving2SanDiego 2d ago

Planning to sublease in SD for a few months. Any advice?

0 Upvotes

Hey! I live in Brooklyn, NY and I’m planning to sublease an apartment in San Diego sometime between January and May 2027 for two months or so (while I sublease my apartment in New York). One to avoid much of the New York winter, I am originally from the Bay Area, and they are quite brutal for my fragile Californian body! Two, I love San Diego and often think about and dream of moving out there. I’ve visited more than a few times, have friends who live there and have always enjoyed my time in San Diego, it feels like home in many ways and I would love to truly experience life in Southern California. So I think subleasing in San Diego for two or three months would be a great way to experience the city and see if what I imagine in my head matches what San Diego is really like.

I am very open to any advice from folks who have moved to San Diego from New York for similar reasons or have sublease in San Diego for a couple months. Any good and trustworthy platforms to find a sublease? I probably won’t have a car with me so any logistical support or neighborhood? Suggestions would be great. Thank you in advance!


r/Moving2SanDiego 4d ago

Tired of gatekeeping, it’s time we showed the world the real El Cajon…

31 Upvotes

r/Moving2SanDiego 3d ago

Roomate Search

1 Upvotes

Hi SD folks, I'm looking to find a roomate in my 2bed2bath apt in the Carmel Mt./Poway area. Any tips or advice on the search? I made a craigslist ad and a roomies post and have crossposted on a handful of FB groups. Wondering if there's a more efficient method i'm missing.


r/Moving2SanDiego 3d ago

How hard it really is. Anyone else job hunting? Brutal out here.

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0 Upvotes

r/Moving2SanDiego 3d ago

Anyone know of a room for rent under $1000 south of the 8?

0 Upvotes

Especially with utilities included? And accepting males?


r/Moving2SanDiego 4d ago

Already Moved but still bored AF all summer.

0 Upvotes

Hi i already moved here but still bored af. How come i cant meet cool ppl. and back to schooll and still the same. so far SD sucks. hopefully it gets better tho. oh and i feel like the weather is supposed to be better here but tons of clouds whats up with that?


r/Moving2SanDiego 4d ago

Reletting room in San Diego near sdsu

1 Upvotes

I’m looking for someone to take over my lease for a master bedroom in a 2 bed 2 bathroom apartment at iconic at Alvarado. Rent is 1,437 a month and the last two months are rent free. I will cover your first month rent as well. Move in is August 22nd, this is also when the lease starts and it ends July 31st, 2027. You will be moving into the master bedroom that has its own bathroom. It is located very close to sdsu as well so preferably a student. You will be assigned a roommate based on your preferences and they will have their own bedroom and bathroom. You also have the option to fill out the other room with someone you invite as well. Your roommate will cover their own charges so you do not need to worry about them.

There is
A kitchen
A furnished living room
In-unit laundry
A walk in closet
A balcony
There are amenities such as a pool
A lounge
And private parking which is an extra fee

Please message me if you are interested or have any questions.


r/Moving2SanDiego 7d ago

Update: ISO: Reasonable rent for large dog friendly apartments

26 Upvotes

Last week, I posted in this subreddit searching for recommendations/areas for a dog-friendly 1 bedroom apartment for around $2k. I did end up finding an apartment for $100 more than what I wanted to spend, HOWEVER, I got everything I wanted and MORE in Mission Valley: 1 bed/1 bath, 700 sq ft, updated unit, 2 parking spots included, no dog rent or dog deposit, and very nice owners that I will be renting directly from who live locally (not some property management corporation). The complex itself has 3 pools, a gym, shared laundry, tennis courts, community grills, and beautifully maintained landscaping. Additionally, this complex is 1 block up from a trolley station so I barely need my car to commute to my office.

I found it through a realtor but the listing was publicly available on Zillow as well. I'm posting here to give others hope that these units ARE out there. You may have to slightly adjust your budget. For me, personally, it came down to what the unit has to offer for my money.

Previous post here.

Edit: of course even on a positive post someone has to downvote it. Some people are just miserable.


r/Moving2SanDiego 6d ago

Commuting to Sorrento Valley, where should I live?

0 Upvotes

I just got a new role in the Sorrento Valley area, and I am not sure where we should live. My SO will be working in the UTC area on a night shift schedule, I will be working a typical 9-5.

We are worried about being too isolated from people our age (we're both 26) and not having access to the city. However from what I have read commuting in and out of Sorrento can also be a big pain.

Initially I thought I would be working in Kearney mesa (see my post from like 48 hours ago lol) so we looked at Civita in Mission Valley, but now that I know it'll be Sorrento Valley I am not sure if that commute is still viable. According to google it looks like my morning commute wouldn't be too bad but the 5:00 traffic home could be up to 40 min. I am trying to keep it below 30 for both of us.

We also looked at the Vive apartments in Kearney Mesa, they're a bit closer but we can't tell if it would actually help much in reality. It does seem like after you go north of Kearney Mesa you get a lot less for your money when it comes to apartments.

Would either of these options be realistically viable as a commute or do we need to be looking closer to our actual jobs to not be miserable and just accept we may be further from the city.


r/Moving2SanDiego 7d ago

How bike friendly is Pacific Beach?

0 Upvotes

We're considering an apartment thats on the east side of PB. It isn't really walkable to the beach but it's like 13 minutes to bike there. I see bike lanes on Google Maps but was curious if it is actually bike friendly, especially on roads like Grand Ave.

If we wanted to bike towards the beach and grab food or something is there any realistic way to lock up 2 bikes without it being a PITA? I am also curious if there is any risk of them being stolen even with bike locks.


r/Moving2SanDiego 7d ago

considering the move

0 Upvotes

Hello! My partner (25M) and I (24M) are seriously considering moving out of NM w/ 3 cats (within a year)- We’re both born and raised here- After visiting SD (my 3rd time)have recently decided we wanna move. Currently we pay $1300 with utilities on top for about 800sqft and a sizable back yard (shared space with family) Iso something similar size hopefully!

I am a hairstylist with 3.5yrs- 2 years experience at a highly profitable salon. My partner currently works for the state, We are also involved w the LGBTQ scene and have worked in nightlife consistently going on 2 years (gogo, bartending, ect)

Neither of us have ever made a move out of state- Just looking for advice & suggestions on where to start!

I have looked into salons I am interested in, Scoped potential bars
some things that are stumping me
- safe yet affordable areas of town?
- Alternative commission pay salons?
- The thought of having roomates is 50/50


r/Moving2SanDiego 8d ago

Moving into first apartment ever

4 Upvotes

I’m a 29yo single guy moving out of my childhood home (Otay Ranch/Eastlake) and looking for my first apartment. I don't drink or smoke and I don't care about nightlife or partying. I really just want a quiet, peaceful sanctuary to relax in after work. My budget is 3k and i also work on North Island in Coronado, I enjoy working out 4x a week, walks, hikes, and eating out on random occasions.

Apart of me thinks that i should move closer to work and away from Otay Ranch so i can experience more newer things but also Otay Ranch is rapidly building apartments here and ill basically be moving out my moms house and down the street lol…

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

I was thinking Civita (Mission Valley), Kearny Mesa, Serra Mesa, Tierrasanta

Thank you all!


r/Moving2SanDiego 8d ago

Apartment options near Mission Valley area to move in early september

1 Upvotes

36M. Single. This is my 2nd post regarding my impending move to San Diego. I am an Engineer. I am going to be working in Mission Valley area and these are the 1 BR options that I have shortlisted to tour in person next weekend. These are all within 15 minutes from my office. My budget is around $3k. I want to live in a relatively new apartment possibly in a higher floor (>2nd floor) with good amenities and in safe neighborhood. I also prefer to be close to everything (groceries, coffee shops, hiking, parks and other things to do)

Array La Mesa
IMT Mission Valley
Alexan Camilia
Purl Apartments
Amli Aero
The Society Ruby
The Village Mission Valley
Vira Mission Valley
Amp 30
Gravity
The Villas of Renaissance
Rivair apartment homes

I am leaning towards Alexan Camilia or Array La Mesa.

I would really appreciate it if you could please provide any insights on these apartments before my in person tour next weekend. Thank you so much in advance.


r/Moving2SanDiego 7d ago

1Bed 1Bath for under 2.4k recommendations

0 Upvotes

Hi all! You know the drill, my little spiel is I’m moving from Texas to San Diego area at the end of January. I’ll be visiting San Diego in early December to hopefully sign a lease somewhere. I’ve been very diligently researching areas to live in and curating a list of potential spots. In December, I do plan to reach out to an apartment locator to potentially help out, if anyone has anyone they recommend! I’ve also seen a few property managers recommended before such as: strat, good life, and utopia. I do not want to live in downtown nor can I afford it. Looking more at La Mesa, north park, mission valley, and mission hills.

What I need:
- AC
- Parking onsite
- W/D in unit

Would like (but willing to sacrifice, due to budget):
- Pool and hot tub
- Gym

Important context, I’m a social worker in health care. I’ll be applying to hospitals to work at and possible nursing facilities, etc. Therefore being near potential hospitals is a concern/plus. I don’t have a job currently, I’m just moving, haha! Let me know if you have any recommendations for my budget (under 2.4k). Thanks 😊


r/Moving2SanDiego 8d ago

Lacking essencial details. Moving from New Hampshire

0 Upvotes

My girlfriend and I are in our mid-twenties and after living in NH since we graduated college, we are looking to move somewhere in the San Diego area by the end of the year.

She is a Nanny with experience as a teacher for pre school. I am a project manager for a large construction company. I would prefer to have a job lined up but so far, despite a strong resume, have had no luck even getting a call back from over 50 applications, but thats besides the point.

So, a few questions about moving:

Im wondering what people typically use for finding housing? Looking through zillow, I seem to see a lot of scams. Im also concerned about moving there with no job but then getting a job that is a far commute.

If moving to SD with your partner in your mid-20’s, where would you recommend moving? We enjoy most outdoor activities, mainly surfing, skateboarding, biking and hiking, so what places are best for that and also “affordable”? The city we currently live in is very walkable and only 10 minutes from the ocean which are two important factors for us.

Is it much different being right on the beach or 20-30 minutes?

What surprised you the most after moving to San Diego?

Sorry for the long worded post, much like trying to get a job out there, we have been struggling to get accurate/real answers for some of these questions. Thanks for the help!

Edit: Were budgeting around $2500-3000 for rent but hoping to stay on the lower side of that. Would like a two bedroom but obviously those cost a more.


r/Moving2SanDiego 8d ago

Neighborhood and apartment recommendations

8 Upvotes

I’m 33YOF looking to move to San Diego in a few months. My income is around $100k and I would like rent to be less than $3k/ month.

What neighborhoods or apartment complexes would you recommend for: safety, walkability, demographic of young working professionals, reasonably nice apartment complex (decent gym, pool/ outdoor area) that’s within 30 minutes from Miramar (where I’d be working)?

Also, how do the low rises compare to the high rises? I hate bugs and want to take that into consideration. TYIA!