FY2027 (2026-27) GSA Per Diem Rates for San Diego, California
These are the federal per diem rates for San Diego for fiscal year 2027 (1 October 2026 – 30 September 2027). They set the ceiling on how much of your pay package an agency can pay as a tax-free housing and meal stipend rather than as taxable wages.
Lodging (peak month)
$249/night
Weekly housing ceiling: $1,743/week Low season: $1,456/week
Meals & Incidentals (M&IE)
$86/day
Weekly meals ceiling: $602/week Already includes incidentals — nothing to add on top.
Combined ceiling
$2,345/week
The most a compliant stipend package can total in San Diego, for a traveller with a qualifying tax home.
San Diego Per Diem for Calendar 2026, Month by Month
GSA rates run by federal fiscal year, so calendar 2026 uses two sets of rates: January–September fall in FY2026, and October–December fall in FY2027. Peak lodging went from $237 to $249 a night (up $12), and M&IE stayed at $86 a day.
| Month (2026) | Fiscal year | Lodging / night | M&IE / day | Total / week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | FY2026 | $199 | $86 | $1,995 |
| Feb | FY2026 | $199 | $86 | $1,995 |
| Mar | FY2026 | $199 | $86 | $1,995 |
| Apr | FY2026 | $199 | $86 | $1,995 |
| May | FY2026 | $199 | $86 | $1,995 |
| Jun | FY2026 | $237 | $86 | $2,261 |
| Jul | FY2026 | $237 | $86 | $2,261 |
| Aug | FY2026 | $199 | $86 | $1,995 |
| Sep | FY2026 | $199 | $86 | $1,995 |
| Oct | FY2027 | $208 | $86 | $2,058 |
| Nov | FY2027 | $208 | $86 | $2,058 |
| Dec | FY2027 | $208 | $86 | $2,058 |
FY2026 (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
Lodging $199–$237/night · M&IE $86/day
FY2027 (Oct 2026–Sep 2027) — in force now
Lodging $208–$249/night · M&IE $86/day
A contract that runs across 1 October is covered by both: each night is capped by the rate for the month it falls in. Total / week is (lodging + M&IE) × 7, the most a stipend can be for a full week in that month.
San Diego lodging changes by 2 seasons — a $287/week difference
GSA does not set one rate per city. It sets a rate per month, and in San Diego the difference between the highest and lowest month is $41/night — $287/week in how much of your package can legally be tax-free. A stipend that is compliant in aug–may may exceed the ceiling in jun–jul.
| Months | Lodging / night | Housing ceiling / week | + M&IE = total / week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun–Jul peak | $249 | $1,743 | $2,345 |
| Aug–May lowest | $208 | $1,456 | $2,058 |
What to do with this: check the months your contract actually runs, not the headline rate. A 13-week assignment starting in Jun is governed by a different ceiling than the same contract starting in Aug. If a recruiter quotes a stipend near the top of this table, confirm which months it applies to before you sign.
Other per diem rates in California
GSA sets 32 localities in California; everywhere else uses the standard rate ($113 lodging + $68 M&IE).
How travel nurse stipends use these caps
Agencies normally split a package into a lower taxable hourly rate plus tax-free stipends for housing and meals. The IRS expects those stipends to stay within the per diem limits for the assignment location. Pay above the ceiling does not become illegal — it becomes taxable wages, and it is your return that has to account for it.
In San Diego the ceiling is $1,743/week for housing at peak, and $1,456/week in the lowest months , plus $602/week for meals and incidentals.
Two things travellers most often get wrong about this number. First, it is a maximum, not a target — a package paying well under it is common and not necessarily a bad offer, but a package paying over it has a tax consequence nobody may have mentioned. Second, the stipend is only tax-free if you genuinely maintain a tax home you are duplicating expenses for; without one, the whole stipend is taxable regardless of what GSA publishes.
One detail that catches people out: the first and last day of travel are reimbursed at 75% of the M&IE rate, not the full day rate. On a 13-week contract that is a rounding error; on a string of short assignments it adds up.
Find housing for this stipend
See whether the stipend actually covers furnished housing in San Diego. If it does not, you are subsidising the assignment out of pocket.
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Where these numbers come from
Published by the U.S. General Services Administration for fiscal year 2027, retrieved 2026-10-12. Rates change each 1 October. Always confirm against GSA.gov. This page is an educational tool, not tax advice — see our methodology.