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 | Columbia | Sunnyvale | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,895/mo | $2,990/mo | 36.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $458,700 | $1,680,700 | 72.7% lower in A |
| Median household income | $124,537 | $174,506 | 28.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.7 | 104.1 | 5.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 94.8 | 125.1 | 24.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 100.5 | 104.6 | 3.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 104.1 | 9.0% 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 Columbia, you'd need $157,779 in Sunnyvale to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Columbia, MD is about 36.6% cheaper overall than Sunnyvale, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 37% lower in Columbia than in Sunnyvale. If you earn $80,000 in Columbia, you'd need about $126,223 in Sunnyvale to keep the same standard of living.