San Jose, CA Cost Of Living
Cost Of Living In San Jose, CA Summary
Cost of living in San Jose research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means San Jose is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in San Jose is 209, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in San Jose is 2.1x higher than the national average.
San Jose ranks as the #545 cheapest in California out of 634.
San Jose ranks as the #6,350 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in San Jose is $1,382,249.
The median income in San Jose is $141,565.
Table Of Contents
San Jose's Overall Cost Of Living
Higher Than The National Average
What is the cost of living in San Jose, CA?
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, San Jose has an overall cost of living index of 209, which is 2.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, San Jose has a cost of living index that's 1.5x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in San Jose ranks as #545 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies San Jose ranks as the #89 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in San Jose, check out:
In California
In America
San Jose Cost Of Living Vs. California
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in San Jose. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in San Jose is 107.
The Groceries index in San Jose is 117.
The Health index in San Jose is 122.
The Housing index in San Jose is 422.
The Transportation index in San Jose is 131.
The Utilities index in San Jose is 133.
| Living Expense | San Jose | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 209 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 107 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 117 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 122 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 422 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 131 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 133 | 128 | 100 | |
San Jose, CA Housing Cost Breakdown
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in San Jose is $1,382,249.
The Median Rent in San Jose is $2,617.
The Median Income in San Jose is $141,565.
The Home Value To Income in San Jose is 9.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in San Jose is 0.22x.
| Statistic | San Jose | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,382,249 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,617 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $141,565 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 9.8x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.22x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Income
San Jose, CA Costs By Category
Detailed San Jose Services Costs Vs. California
| Item | San Jose | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.66 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.31 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $33.3 | $18 |
| Haircut | $33.94 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $48.51 | $45.56 |
Detailed San Jose Groceries Costs Vs. California
| Item | San Jose | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.79 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.13 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $5.05 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.77 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $14.92 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.99 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.72 | $3.7 |
Detailed San Jose Health Costs Vs. California
| Item | San Jose | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $158.95 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $194.05 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $147.78 | $113.29 |
Detailed San Jose Transportation Costs Vs. California
| Item | San Jose | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.81 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $65.62 | $59.92 |
Detailed San Jose Utilities Costs Vs. California
| Item | San Jose | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $294.74 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.07 | $192.25 |
San Jose SnackAbility
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Cost Of Living In Cities Around San Jose
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around San Jose. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Sunnyvale, CA has a cost of living index of 266, 1.3x San Jose.
Santa Clara, CA has a cost of living index of 234, 1.1x San Jose.
Mountain View, CA has a cost of living index of 283, 1.4x San Jose.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyvale, CA | 153,455 | 266 | 1.3x |
| Santa Clara, CA | 129,239 | 234 | 1.1x |
| Mountain View, CA | 82,363 | 283 | 1.4x |
| Milpitas, CA | 78,216 | 213 | 1.0x |
| Palo Alto, CA | 67,231 | 334 | 1.6x |
| Cupertino, CA | 58,886 | 326 | 1.6x |
| Campbell, CA | 42,848 | 235 | 1.1x |
| Los Gatos, CA | 32,773 | 308 | 1.5x |
| Los Altos, CA | 30,736 | 339 | 1.6x |
| Saratoga, CA | 30,335 | 342 | 1.6x |
