City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Alexandria | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,983/mo | $2,526/mo | 21.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $655,700 | $1,149,600 | 43.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $113,179 | $136,010 | 16.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 101.9 | 104.1 | 2.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 87.6 | 125.1 | 30.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 90.0 | 104.6 | 14.0% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 92.8 | 104.1 | 10.9% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Alexandria, you'd need $127,380 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Alexandria, VA is about 21.5% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 21% lower in Alexandria than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in Alexandria, you'd need about $101,904 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.