$500,000 in Texas will get you this.
And this is what it will get you in California
.
http://www.realtor.com/realestateforsale
Because in san diego specifically, you're paying for the quality of life. We have multiple NICE beaches, literally tens of dozens of night spots that are smackin ey night of the week, world class museums, parks and cultural centers, beautiful women tumbling out of every spot, and perhaps, most importantly. the weather is climate controlled by Jesus. Its always a 75-85 degrees, with a calming breeze and low humidity. No hurricanes, tornados, etc.
Point is, when you live out here, who the fck would wanna stay inside, so who cares what your house looks like? In places like Texas, there is lil reason to leave the house. Diego is a city that skews towards a younger demo, so a lot of our economic and social realities reflect that. A nice 1bd in a dope part of city by the ocean will run you about 1000-1200. Definitely worth it, depending on where you're at in life.