Closing Costs

How Much Are Closing Costs for Buyers in San Diego, CA?

Updated November 10, 2026

By Vinura Abeysundara

Head of Growth at TurboHome

Reviewed by:

Vinura Abeysundara

Head of Growth at TurboHome

Kevin Kretzmer

Head Agent, California · CalDRE #01997822

Buyers in San Diego should budget $3,475 to $6,388 in closing costs on a median-priced $950,000 home (0.37% to 0.67% of the price), before prepaids and discount points. Add roughly $6,423 to $8,923 for prepaid interest, a property tax reserve and a year of insurance, so cash to close with 20% down is about $199,898 to $205,311. In San Diego the seller customarily pays the owner's title policy and the county transfer tax, the city adds no transfer tax of its own, and the escrow fee is split, which keeps buyer closing costs among the lowest in this series. The estimates are modeled on 4,500 closings in our MLS feed from May 1 to October 31, 2026.

TurboHome Market Analysis · San Diego, CA · Closings May to Oct 2026 · Updated November 10, 2026

Below: each line item, costs by purchase price and neighborhood, who pays what by local custom, prepaids and cash to close, how buyers paid, what changed from a year ago, and how to lower the bill.

What San Diego buyers pay at closing

High estimate. Every figure is in the table below.

Estimated buyer closing costs in San Diego at the $950,000 median price, data table
Line item	Low estimate	High estimate
Lender fees (origination, underwriting, processing)	$1,200	$3,000
Appraisal and credit report	$650	$950
Lender's title policy	$400	$800
Escrow fee (buyer's half)	$1,075	$1,388
Recording fees	$150	$250
Total closing costs, before prepaids and points	$3,475	$6,388

These are estimates for a financed purchase with 20% down and a conventional loan at the median price, not a quote. The Loan Estimate your lender sends within three business days of your application, and the escrow or title company's estimate, are the figures to plan around.

Closing costs by purchase price in San Diego

Estimated buyer closing costs, prepaids and cash to close by purchase price in San Diego, data table
Purchase price	Closing costs	Share of price	Prepaids	Cash to close, 20% down
$500,000	$3,025 to $5,825	0.6% to 1.17%	$4,091 to $6,591	$107,116 to $112,416
$750,000	$3,275 to $6,138	0.44% to 0.82%	$5,387 to $7,887	$158,662 to $164,025
$1,000,000	$3,525 to $6,450	0.35% to 0.65%	$6,683 to $9,183	$210,208 to $215,633
$1,500,000	$4,025 to $7,075	0.27% to 0.47%	$9,274 to $11,774	$313,299 to $318,849
$2,000,000	$4,525 to $7,700	0.23% to 0.39%	$11,866 to $14,366	$416,391 to $422,066

Half of San Diego closings fell between $668,000 and $1,399,000. At $668,000, closing costs run $3,193 to $6,035; at $1,399,000, $3,924 to $6,949. Flat charges such as lender fees and the appraisal cost the same at any price, so closing costs shrink as a share of the price as the price rises.

Share of San Diego closings by price, May to October 2026: under $500,000, 10.7%, $500,000 to $750,000, 21.1%, $750,000 to $1 million, 21.9%, $1 million to $1.5 million, 25.0%, $1.5 million to $2 million, 10.5% and $2 million and up, 10.7%. The largest group was $1 million to $1.5 million.

Closing costs by neighborhood

San Diego neighborhoods with the most closings, May to October 2026, data table
Neighborhood	Closings	Median price	Estimated closing costs
Clairemont Mesa	351	$1,125,000	$3,650 to $6,606
Navajo	310	$966,250	$3,491 to $6,408
Rancho Bernardo	297	$960,000	$3,485 to $6,400
Downtown San Diego	263	$680,000	$3,205 to $6,050
Uptown San Diego	244	$942,000	$3,467 to $6,378
Point Loma	219	$1,357,000	$3,882 to $6,896
Mira Mesa	204	$970,000	$3,495 to $6,412
Rancho Penasquitos	178	$1,308,750	$3,834 to $6,836

Point Loma ($3,882 to $6,896) and Rancho Penasquitos ($3,834 to $6,836) top the table, against $3,205 to $6,050 in Downtown San Diego. The high estimate stays under $7,000 in all eight neighborhoods because the seller pays the owner's title policy and the county transfer tax.

Estimates apply the same model at each neighborhood's median price, so they move with price and local custom, not with anything specific to the neighborhood.

Who pays what in San Diego County

Who customarily pays each closing cost in San Diego County, data table
Cost	Customarily paid by	Notes
Owner's title policy	Seller
Lender's title policy	Buyer	Required by your lender
Escrow fee	Split 50/50
County transfer tax	Seller	$0.55 per $500 ($1.10 per $1,000) of price
City transfer tax	None	The City of San Diego has no city transfer tax
Recording fees	Buyer	For the deed and your loan documents

San Diego County collects a documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500 of price ($1.10 per $1,000), and the seller customarily pays it. The City of San Diego adds no city transfer tax, so San Diego buyers pay no transfer tax by custom.

These are local customs, not law. Buyer and seller can agree to a different split in the purchase contract, and a seller whose home has sat is often willing to cover more.

Sources:

Chicago Title, 2026 California Customary Practices Guide, checked November 10, 2026
Old Republic Title, California customs chart, checked November 10, 2026
San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, recording and transfer tax, checked November 10, 2026
JVM Lending, average closing costs in California, updated September 23, 2026

Prepaids, earnest money and your cash to close

Prepaids are not fees. They fund your first costs of owning the home, and on a $950,000 home in San Diego they come to $6,423 to $8,923:

Prepaid interest: $1,952. 15 days of interest on an 80% loan at an assumed 6.25% rate. Your figure depends on your rate and how many days are left in the month when you close.
Property tax reserve: $2,971. Three months of property tax at the 1.25% effective rate from our San Diego property tax guide. Lenders usually collect two to three months for the escrow account; we assume three.
Homeowners insurance: $1,500 to $4,000. The first 12 months, paid at closing (a TurboHome estimate).

Cash to close with 20% down at the $950,000 median price in San Diego, data table
Item	At the median price
Down payment, 20%	$190,000
Closing costs	$3,475 to $6,388
Prepaids and reserves	$6,423 to $8,923
Cash to close	$199,898 to $205,311

Earnest money is not an extra cost. TurboHome's California buyers put down a median deposit of 3.0% of the price in the 12 months to October 31, 2026 (32 closings with a recorded deposit), and the deposit is credited toward your cash to close.

With 10% down, the down payment on the median home is $95,000; with 5% down, $47,500. A smaller down payment usually adds mortgage insurance and changes the loan costs, so we show cash to close only for 20% down.

How San Diego buyers paid

99.6% of San Diego closings from May to October 2026 recorded how the buyer paid (4,484 closings). 24.6% paid cash, 57.4% used a conventional loan, 4.1% used an FHA loan and 9.8% used a VA loan. The loan type changes the closing bill:

Cash buyers skip the lender fees, the lender's title policy and prepaid interest, so they pay well under the estimates above.
FHA buyers add an upfront mortgage insurance premium of 1.75% of the base loan amount (HUD, Mortgagee Letter 2023-05 (FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium), dated February 22, 2023, checked November 10, 2026), which can be added to the loan.
VA buyers pay a funding fee of 2.15% of the loan on first use with less than 5% down, unless exempt, for example with a service-connected disability rating. It can be added to the loan (VA.gov, VA funding fee and closing costs, checked October 5, 2026 and November 10, 2026).

VA loans made up 9.8% of San Diego closings, the highest VA share of the six California cities in this series, and 24.6% of buyers paid cash. For a first-time VA buyer with less than 5% down, the funding fee on a loan near the median price would be larger than every other closing cost on this page combined, though it can be added to the loan.

What changed from a year ago

The median San Diego sale price rose 3.8%, from $915,000 (4,562 closings in the same months of 2025) to $950,000. At last year's median, the same model puts buyer closing costs at $3,440 to $6,344, against $3,475 to $6,388 now: an increase of $35 to $44.

How to lower your closing costs in San Diego

Ask for a seller credit. A credit written into your offer pays part of your closing costs at closing. Sellers agree more often when a home has sat; see days on market in San Diego for how long homes are taking to sell. Your loan program caps how large a credit can be, so check with your lender first.
Compare lender credits. A lender can pay some of your costs in exchange for a slightly higher rate. Ask two or three lenders for a Loan Estimate on the same day and compare the rate and the credit together.
Shop title and escrow where you can. The escrow fee is split in San Diego County, so ask the escrow company for its fee schedule early, and compare the lender's title charges on Loan Estimates from two lenders.
Put a commission refund toward the bill. TurboHome is a flat-fee buyer's brokerage that refunds the rest of the buyer-side commission at closing, and 62% of TurboHome buyers who stated a preference chose to take it as a credit at closing (108 of 173, closings in the 12 months to October 31, 2026). On TurboHome's California closings over the same 12 months, the median refund was $14,663 (companies that refund the buyer's agent commission).

Methodology

We modeled buyer closing costs for San Diego from 4,500 closings in our MLS feed from May 1 to October 31, 2026, excluding sales under $50,000 and land and lot sales. The median sale price was $950,000, with a 25th percentile of $668,000 and a 75th percentile of $1,399,000. Each estimate is a range for a financed purchase with 20% down and a conventional loan, buyer side only, at the stated price.

California model ranges: lender fees (origination, underwriting, processing) $1,200 to $3,000; appraisal and credit report $650 to $950; lender's title policy $400 to $800; recording $150 to $250; owner's title policy, only where the buyer customarily pays it, 0.20% to 0.26% of the price, with a $1,100 to $1,400 minimum; escrow fee $250 plus $2.00 per $1,000 of price (low) to $400 plus $2.50 per $1,000 (high), with the buyer's share set by local custom.

Prepaids assume 15 days of interest at an assumed 6.25% rate on an 80% loan, a three-month property tax reserve at the 1.25% effective rate, and 12 months of homeowners insurance at $1,500 to $4,000 (a TurboHome estimate).

Estimates leave out discount points, inspections, HOA transfer or capital contribution fees, Mello-Roos special taxes and property tax prorations between buyer and seller. Customs vary by contract and are negotiable.

Escrow: the buyer pays half, per San Diego County custom. Owner's title: seller-paid, not included. No transfer tax is included: the seller customarily pays the county tax and the city has none. Financing type was recorded for 4,484 closings (99.6%).

TurboHome figures (earnest money, the share of buyers who took their refund as a credit at closing, median refunds) come from TurboHome's own closings in the 12 months to October 31, 2026.

Public sources:

Chicago Title, 2026 California Customary Practices Guide, checked November 10, 2026
Old Republic Title, California customs chart, checked November 10, 2026
San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, recording and transfer tax, checked November 10, 2026
JVM Lending, average closing costs in California, updated September 23, 2026
HUD, Mortgagee Letter 2023-05 (FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium), dated February 22, 2023, checked November 10, 2026
VA.gov, VA funding fee and closing costs, checked October 5, 2026 and November 10, 2026

FAQ

Can the seller pay my closing costs in San Diego?

Yes, if the seller agrees. You ask for a seller credit in your offer and it is applied to your closing costs at closing. Sellers are more open to credits on homes that have sat on the market (days on market in San Diego), and your loan program caps how large a credit can be, so check the limit with your lender before you ask.

What is the transfer tax in San Diego and who pays it?

San Diego County charges $0.55 per $500 of price ($1.10 per $1,000), and the City of San Diego adds no city tax (San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, recording and transfer tax, checked November 10, 2026). The seller customarily pays the county tax, so San Diego buyers pay no transfer tax by custom.

How much earnest money do I need in San Diego?

TurboHome's California buyers put down a median earnest money deposit of 3.0% of the price in the 12 months to October 31, 2026 (32 closings with a recorded deposit). The deposit is due soon after your offer is accepted and is credited toward your cash to close, so it is not an extra cost.

Can I get cash back when I buy a house in San Diego?

Yes. TurboHome is a flat-fee buyer's brokerage serving San Diego: it charges a flat fee instead of a percentage commission and refunds the rest of the buyer-side commission to you at closing. 62% of TurboHome buyers who stated a preference took it as a credit at closing, which lowers the cash they bring. Compare the companies that refund the buyer's agent commission in California.

Can I roll closing costs into my mortgage?

Not on a conventional purchase loan: you pay closing costs and prepaids in cash at closing, or cover them with a seller credit, a lender credit or a commission refund. Government loans have narrow exceptions. FHA's 1.75% upfront mortgage insurance premium and the VA funding fee can be added to the loan amount, but VA says all other fees on a purchase loan must be paid at closing (VA.gov, VA funding fee and closing costs, checked October 5, 2026 and November 10, 2026).

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