Key Takeaways
- GEICO has the cheapest premiums in San Diego, charging $40 for minimum coverage and $98 a month for full coverage.
- San Diego drivers pay less than the average American. For full coverage, city residents pay an average of $132 a month, compared to an average of $369 nationwide.
- Mercury is the cheapest insurance company for drivers with a DUI.
In this article
The cheapest car insurance companies in San Diego, CA
GEICO offers the most affordable car insurance rates for most San Diego drivers. In fact, GEICO has the lowest rates for:
- Full and minimum coverage
- Senior drivers
- Teen drivers
- Married drivers
GEICO may be the cheapest car insurance company for you, but it also may not be. To find out, compare auto insurance quotes from several companies before you settle on one.
California car insurance state minimums
Drivers in California are required by state law to carry at least a minimum amount of liability car insurance. All policies must include coverage for the following:
| Coverage type | State requirements |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability | $5,000 per accident |
On top of minimum coverage, drivers may also add:
- Collision coverage
- Comprehensive coverage
- Coverage for towing and rental cars
- Coverage for uninsured motorists
Cheapest minimum-coverage auto insurance rates in San Diego: GEICO
GEICO leads the way for cheap minimum-coverage car insurance in San Diego, charging just $40 a month, on average.
The average cost of minimum-coverage car insurance in San Diego is $59 a month, meaning GEICO offers a 32% discount.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| GEICO | $40 |
| Progressive | $48 |
| CSAA | $50 |
| Mercury | $54 |
| Auto Club | $57 |
| State Farm | $68 |
| Allstate | $69 |
| Farmers | $83 |
| Rates are for minimum-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with a good driving record. | |
Get the cheapest car insurance in San Diego
Cheapest full-coverage auto insurance rates in San Diego: GEICO
GEICO is the cheapest full-coverage auto insurance provider in San Diego. The provider charges an average monthly rate of $98.
San Diego residents pay an average of $132 a month for full coverage, so GEICO’s average rate is over 25% cheaper.
Full-coverage car insurance usually refers to a policy that features the state-minimum liability coverage, plus collision and comprehensive coverages. No state requires full coverage, but it’s often a good idea for those with new or expensive vehicles.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| GEICO | $98 |
| Progressive | $115 |
| Allstate | $120 |
| Auto Club | $134 |
| Mercury | $138 |
| State Farm | $143 |
| CSAA | $143 |
| Farmers | $167 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with a good driving record. | |
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a prior incident
Drivers with a speeding ticket or at-fault accident on their record should head to GEICO, where they’ll find the best full-coverage car insurance rates. Meanwhile, Mercury has the cheapest rates for drivers with a DUI.
Cheapest for drivers with a speeding ticket: GEICO
GEICO has the cheapest car insurance in San Diego for drivers with a speeding ticket, charging $154 a month for full coverage.
In San Diego, the average driver with a speeding ticket pays $195 a month for car insurance. That’s close to 50% more than the average rate for a driver with a clean record, which is $132.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| GEICO | $154 |
| Allstate | $171 |
| CSAA | $181 |
| Mercury | $182 |
| Auto Club | $198 |
| Progressive | $219 |
| State Farm | $220 |
| Farmers | $235 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with one speeding ticket on his driving record. | |
Cheapest for drivers with an at-fault accident: GEICO
Drivers with an accident on their record should also head to GEICO for cheap auto insurance. There, they’ll find city-leading rates of $180 a month.
At-fault accidents, in general, have been shown to increase premiums even more than speeding tickets. That’s the case in San Diego, where the average rate for a driver with an accident is $219 a month — nearly $25 more than for a driver with a ticket.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| GEICO | $180 |
| CSAA | $181 |
| Auto Club | $201 |
| State Farm | $228 |
| Farmers | $235 |
| Progressive | $238 |
| Mercury | $239 |
| Allstate | $252 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with one at-fault accident on his driving record. | |
Cheapest for drivers with a DUI: Mercury
Drivers with a DUI on their record will find the best car insurance rates at Mercury, which charges $227 a month.
Citywide, San Diego drivers with a DUI pay $365 a month for full coverage. That’s nearly three times more than the citywide average for drivers with a clean record.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Mercury | $227 |
| GEICO | $248 |
| Progressive | $273 |
| Farmers | $294 |
| Auto Club | $405 |
| Allstate | $455 |
| State Farm | $507 |
| CSAA | $512 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with one DUI on his driving record. | |
Cheapest car insurance for senior drivers: GEICO
Senior drivers looking for cheap car insurance should head to GEICO. The company charges an average monthly rate of $98 for full-coverage policies.
In San Diego, the rates for a senior driver are fairly similar to what they would be for a 35-year-old. That’s not always the case, though, as seniors in many cities pay less because they’re seen as reliable, experienced drivers.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| GEICO | $98 |
| Progressive | $115 |
| Allstate | $120 |
| Auto Club | $134 |
| Mercury | $138 |
| State Farm | $143 |
| CSAA | $143 |
| Farmers | $167 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 65-year-old male with a clean driving record. | |
Cheapest car insurance for young drivers: GEICO
Young drivers will find the lowest car insurance rates at GEICO. For minimum coverage, the company offers an average monthly premium of $115. For full coverage, that number is $259.
Young drivers are typically seen as being riskier to insure, which explains why their rates are often higher when compared to older adults.
| Insurance company | Minimum coverage | Full coverage |
|---|---|---|
| GEICO | $115 | $259 |
| Mercury | $127 | $334 |
| State Farm | $134 | $265 |
| CSAA | $146 | $447 |
| Auto Club | $148 | $358 |
| Progressive | $149 | $357 |
| Allstate | $152 | $277 |
| Farmers | $181 | $386 |
| Rates are for an 18-year-old male with a clean driving record. | ||
Compare auto insurance quotes from top companies
Cheapest car insurance for married drivers: GEICO
GEICO is the cheapest car insurance company for married drivers, charging $87 a month.
Married drivers often enjoy better rates than their single counterparts. In San Diego, married drivers pay an average of $123 a month, compared to $132 for single drivers of the same age.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| GEICO | $87 |
| Progressive | $93 |
| Allstate | $112 |
| Mercury | $122 |
| Auto Club | $126 |
| State Farm | $143 |
| CSAA | $143 |
| Farmers | $160 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a married 35-year-old male with a good driving record. | |
Car insurance laws in California
No-fault car insurance
California is considered an at-fault state, also called a tort state, for car insurance. This means that the person deemed responsible for an accident will pay the victim’s costs and damages.
Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate (SR-22)
An SR-22 is a certificate proving that your insurance policy meets the state-required minimums. In California, this is only required for drivers returning from the suspension or revocation of their license.
San Diego car insurance: FAQs
GEICO has the cheapest car insurance for drivers in San Diego, charging $40 a month for minimum coverage and $98 a month for full coverage.
San Diego drivers pay an average of $132 a month for full-coverage car insurance. For minimum coverage, they pay a monthly average of $59.
Drivers with a DUI will find the best car insurance rates at Mercury, which charges $227 a month.
Methodology
The rates shown in this article are based on an analysis of more than 300,000 auto insurance quotes obtained from Quadrant Information Services for sample drivers from across San Diego, California.
Unless otherwise noted, our sample driver is a single 35-year-old with good credit. All sample drivers own a 2012 Honda Accord LX that they drive for an average of 13,500 miles per year.
Our senior base driver is a 65-year-old male with a good driving record. Our young base driver is an 18-year-old male with a good driving record.
Minimum-coverage rates reflect the cost of policies meeting the minimum liability limits required by the state.
Full-coverage policies include the following coverages, limits and deductibles:
- Bodily injury liability: $100,000 limit per person/$300,000 limit per accident
- Property damage liability: $100,000 limit
- Collision: $500 deductible
- Comprehensive: $500 deductible
Sources:
Auto insurance by city
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