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 | Bellingham | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,385/mo | $2,526/mo | 45.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $528,600 | $1,149,600 | 54.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $64,026 | $136,010 | 52.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.7 | 104.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 107.4 | 147.2 | 27.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 101.0 | 101.6 | 0.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.9 | 101.4 | 0.5% 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 Bellingham, you'd need $141,669 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Bellingham, WA is about 29.4% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 46% lower in Bellingham than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in Bellingham, you'd need about $113,335 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.