While many may be exhausted by the frenzy of Los Angeles life, San Diego is a low-key alternative that feels considerably more suburban. In general, people are also considered to be much friendlier, with some surveys ranking San Diego as the friendliest city in the United States. Even though both cities have vibrant cultures, tasty food, and beautiful beaches, there's a clear difference in vibes and experiences. Each beach feels different and each dish has different flavors in any of the cities.
San Diego is MUCH more picturesque, cleaner, greener (literally), less traffic, nicer beaches, nicer views, and overall, a resort-style vibe. And whatever food you can find in Los Angeles, you can probably find it in San Diego, the eighth largest city in the United States. SD feels more like a place for families who want to settle down and get a house or something, Los Angeles is much better if you're like a hip young person. In addition, downtown Los Angeles has a lot of great new things, a lot of train lines that are being built, and great plans to fix up the river up.
While I said that the City of Los Angeles wasn't the most “tourist-friendly” city to visit in Southern California, that's certainly not the case in San Diego. For a more relaxed experience, head to Ocean Beach, a vast stretch of sandy land south of the San Diego River. Whether you want a luxury resort or an affordable hostel to rest in, San Diego has the ideal accommodations. Many people in San Diego travel to Los Angeles to fly in and out of LAX for lower prices and better flight options.
The Audubon Society of San Diego has registered more than 500 species of birds, of which at least 23 are endemic to this region. San Diego also has a Mexico, which is growing some of the best produce, olive oil and wine in the Americas. Promoted as the Craft Beer Capital of the United States, San Diego was at the forefront of this now international trend. We asked the Angels who defected to San Diego what they miss (and don't lose) about life in La La Land.
Los Angeles doesn't have the same beach vibe as San Diego, but it has something I can't put my finger on and that I like better. San Diego is a fun and family-friendly place where you have a lot to do with your partner or children. Choosing between Los Angeles and San Diego to visit when planning a trip to California can be a difficult decision. You would need to ask your Los Angeles-based employer if it would be a problem for you to work remotely from San Diego County.
Los Angeles's purchasing power index is 96.58, which is high, but San Diego's number of 111.15 is higher.