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 | Boston | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,981/mo | $2,526/mo | 21.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $684,900 | $1,149,600 | 40.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $89,212 | $136,010 | 34.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.8 | 104.1 | 0.7% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 133.1 | 125.1 | 6.4% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 88.4 | 104.6 | 15.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 134.4 | 104.1 | 29.1% higher 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 Boston, you'd need $127,511 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Boston, MA is about 21.6% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 22% lower in Boston than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in Boston, you'd need about $102,009 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.