What is the sales tax rate in San Diego?

The combined sales tax rate in the City of San Diego is 7.75%. That is made up of the 6% California state rate, a 1.25% mandatory local component, and a 0.5% county/district transactions tax. Some neighboring cities add their own district taxes and run higher.

Are groceries taxed in San Diego?

No. Unprepared food groceries are exempt from California sales tax, so a basket of fresh produce, bread and milk incurs no sales tax in San Diego. Prepared or hot food sold for immediate consumption is taxable, however.

Are prescription medicines taxed?

No. Prescription medications dispensed by a pharmacist are exempt from California sales tax. Over-the-counter medicines, by contrast, are generally taxable unless prescribed, so this calculator treats only prescriptions as exempt.

How do I calculate sales tax backward from a total?

To find the pre-tax price from a tax-inclusive total, divide the total by 1.0775 in San Diego. For example, a $107.75 receipt represents a $100 item plus $7.75 tax. This tool focuses on the forward calculation from a pre-tax price.

Why do nearby cities have a higher rate than San Diego?

California cities can add voter-approved district transactions taxes on top of the statewide base. The City of San Diego sits at 7.75%, but places like Chula Vista, El Cajon or National City layer extra district taxes and reach 8.25% or higher.

San Diego Combined Sales Tax Calculator

The San Diego combined sales tax calculator computes the exact tax and total on any purchase in the City of San Diego, using the real 7.75% combined rate and California’s exemption rules for groceries and prescriptions.

How it works

California sales tax is the sum of several components. In the City of San Diego they total 7.75%:

California state base: 6.00%
Mandatory local (Bradley-Burns): 1.25%
County/district transactions tax: 0.50%

The calculation for taxable goods is simply:

sales tax = pre-tax price × 0.0775
total     = pre-tax price + sales tax

California exempts unprepared food groceries and prescription medications from sales tax, so for those item types the tax is zero regardless of price.

Worked example

A $249.99 taxable electronics purchase in San Diego:

Sales tax: $249.99 × 0.0775 = $19.37
Total: $249.99 + $19.37 = $269.36

A $249.99 grocery basket of unprepared food: tax is $0.00, total stays $249.99.

Tips

Reverse a receipt. To back out tax from a tax-included total, divide by 1.0775.
Check the exact city. San Diego city is 7.75%, but Chula Vista, El Cajon and National City run higher with extra district taxes — confirm where the sale takes place.
Prepared food is taxable. Hot or ready-to-eat food does not get the grocery exemption.
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