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 | Arlington | Sunnyvale | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,227/mo | $2,990/mo | 25.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $833,300 | $1,680,700 | 50.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $137,387 | $174,506 | 21.3% 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 Arlington, you'd need $134,260 in Sunnyvale to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Arlington, VA is about 25.5% cheaper overall than Sunnyvale, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 26% lower in Arlington than in Sunnyvale. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $107,408 in Sunnyvale to keep the same standard of living.