San Diego - CA vs Portland - OR: 2026 Housing Comparison

What this means for buyers

San Diego - CA is roughly 72% more expensive than Portland - OR in typical home value.

San Diego vs Portland: what the numbers say

At today's 7.24% average 30-year rate with 20% down, the typical home would cost about $5,054 a month in principal and interest in San Diego and $2,941 in Portland, a gap of $2,113 a month.

Typical rent runs $2,967 in San Diego and $1,803 in Portland, so the mortgage payment alone is 1.7 times rent in San Diego and 1.6 times rent in Portland, before taxes and insurance.

Home prices are 26.0 years of rent in San Diego and 24.9 in Portland; the lower ratio in Portland means buying there is cheaper relative to renting.

Over the last 23 months typical values moved -1.8% in San Diego and -1.4% in Portland; over just the last three months the change was +0.3% in San Diego and +0.3% in Portland.

Homes sell for 99.3% of list price in San Diego and 99.7% in Portland, after 25 and 23 days on the market, with price cuts on 29% and 32% of listings. The signs are mixed: San Diego has longer time on the market and sales further below list, while Portland has more price cuts.

The number of homes for sale is down 6% on a year ago in San Diego and up 3% on a year ago in Portland.

Payments assume a 30-year fixed loan at the Freddie Mac weekly average rate (2026-10-29), 20% down, principal and interest only. Home values, rents and market figures are Zillow Research metro data.