Where is the least expensive place to live in North San Diego area?

Question

I'm considering a job offer in Del Mar, but I'm not sure if I can afford to live in the area. The job is personally satisfying, but will not make me reach. Is there any place I could live that will be realatively cheap.

Answer 1

Riverside!

Answer 2

Honestly, North County SD can get very expensive if you're looking at, say, Del Mar, Carmel Valley, Encinitas, Sorrento Valley, or Carlsbad. It's MUCH cheaper to live in Oceanside or Vista if you don't mind the commute. But the 5 South is a horrible mess in the morning and it can take a loooooong time to get from Oceanside or Vista to Del Mar. It used to take me 45 min one-way to get from Vista to Carmel Valley (just one exit south of Del Mar) in the morning. Ditto on the way back. The area right after the 5/805 merge is horrible. At 5 pm you can see speeds of 7-10 mph at the 5 North at the Del Mar onramp.

Anyway, if you can tolerate a 40-60 minute commute, Oceanside and Vista will save you a couple hundred bucks compared to the other coastal cities in North County. Alternatively, you could live in Mira Mesa, which is also super cheap and is just southeast of Del Mar. Mira Mesa isn't North County, but your commute would be waaaayyyy less stressful (don't need to get on a freeway and deal with the awful 5/805 merge). Mira Mesa to Del Mar is about a 30-35 min. drive via the 56-West or through side streets. Doesn't save you a huge amount of time relative to Oceanside, but I think the commute's MUCH less stressful. The 56 almost never gets as bad as the 5, even during rush hour.

Check out apartments.com, rent.com, or sandiego.craigslist.org for current listings of apartments in North County for specific prices in the area you end up choosing. Good luck in your decision!