San Diego, U.S.A.
Living in Pacific Beach, San Diego
Casual beach community. Young professionals, surf culture, and Garnet Avenue nightlife.
A one-bedroom in Pacific Beach rents for about $2,200 - $2,700/month — a safe area (safety 4/5), roughly 15 minutes from San Diego center by bus.
Commute to Center
15 min
bus
Safety Rating
4/5
SafeVibe
beachyoungsurf
Rent in Pacific Beach
Monthly rent in USD ($). First-hand contracts come straight from the landlord or housing company. Second-hand contracts are sublets, and they usually cost more.
| Apartment Size | First-Hand Rent | Second-Hand Rent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Bedroom | $2,000 - $2,400/mo | $2,200 - $2,700/mo |
| 2 Bedrooms | $2,500 - $3,000/mo | $2,800 - $3,300/mo |
| 3 Bedrooms | $3,200 - $3,800/mo | $3,500 - $4,100/mo |
How Pacific Beach compares in San Diego
Within AffordWhere's San Diego dataset, a one-bedroom here averages about $2,450/month — close to the city median, and among the more affordable of the 6 areas we track. Two-bedrooms run $2,800 - $3,300/month and three-bedrooms $3,500 - $4,100/month on second-hand contracts. At 15 minutes to the center by bus, it sits about as central as most San Diego areas in the set. On safety it rates 4/5, among the lower-rated in the city. Based on its rent, commute, and the beach, young, surf tags, it may suit renters weighing rent against commute.
Weighing options? For cheaper rent, see North Park. For a shorter commute, see Gaslamp Quarter.
Rent figures reflect official statistics compiled January 2026. See data sources.
Getting around & nearby amenities
OpenStreetMap maps Pacific Beach Park as nearby green space and Ralphs as the nearest supermarket around the Pacific Beach reference point. A school and a pharmacy are also mapped within walking distance. It also shows a large number of cafés and restaurants mapped within about 700m of that point.
Amenity data from OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). The extracted amenity dataset is published under the same license.
Questions people actually ask
- How much is rent in Pacific Beach, San Diego?
- A 1-bedroom apartment in Pacific Beach costs $2,200 - $2,700/month (second-hand contract) or $2,000 - $2,400/month (first-hand). A 2-bedroom ranges from $2,800 - $3,300/month, and a 3-bedroom from $3,500 - $4,100/month.
- Is Pacific Beach safe for expats?
- Pacific Beach has a safety rating of 4/5 (Safe) on our scale. That is one of the higher ratings on the 1-5 scale; as always, check specific streets and visit at different times before signing a lease.
- How long is the commute from Pacific Beach to San Diego center?
- The commute from Pacific Beach to San Diego city center takes approximately 15 minutes by bus.
- What is Pacific Beach like to live in?
- Casual beach community. Young professionals, surf culture, and Garnet Avenue nightlife. In our data it is tagged as beach, young, surf.
Other neighborhoods in San Diego
Downtown San Diego
0 min walk to center
1BR from $2,300/mo
urbanwaterfrontsports
Gaslamp Quarter
5 min walk to center
1BR from $2,400/mo
nightlifedininghistoric
La Jolla
20 min car to center
1BR from $2,500/mo
upscalebeachbiotech
North Park
15 min bus to center
1BR from $2,100/mo
trendycraft-beerdiverse
Hillcrest
10 min bus to center
1BR from $2,100/mo
LGBTQ+walkablecommunity
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