San Diego is a bit odd in that it seems like a place where downtown is still relatively affordable (emphasis on relative), while people pay quite a bit to live in the beach towns and historic streetcar suburbs. I was surprised at how cheap condos in high rises in Little Italy could be, and how expensive houses in Clairemont Mesa (a place that seems to have few redeeming qualities) were.

Source: Lived in South Park, a streetcar suburb about 3 miles from downtown, for the last year. Enjoyed SP, but disliked SD.

Also, many people will decry my use of the word "suburb" for a place 3 miles out, but it was originally built as one and the residents have fought tooth and nail to prevent any development that would change its character or increase density. I'm sure they don't mind that their home values have increased massively as a result of these restrictions on building in nearly the only pleasant, walkable neighborhood in a city composed primarily of aphalt hellscape, though.