City comparison
Berkeley, CA is about 10 miles (20 km) from San Leandro, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 17 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Berkeley, CA to San Leandro, CA takes about 2 min, covering roughly 10 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Berkeley has a population of 121,385, vs 89,723 in San Leandro — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, San Leandro covers about 13 sq mi vs 10 sq mi for Berkeley.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Berkeley | San Leandro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,067/mo | $1,997/mo | 3.5% higher in Berkeley |
| Median home value | $1,280,300 | $772,700 | 65.7% higher in Berkeley |
| Median household income | $104,716 | $97,141 | 7.8% higher in Berkeley |
| Groceries index | 108.1 | 108.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 168.3 | 168.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 106.1 | 106.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 106.0 | 106.0 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Berkeley, you'd need $99,858 in San Leandro to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Berkeley and San Leandro have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Berkeley, you'd need about $79,887 in San Leandro to keep the same standard of living.