City comparison
Cupertino, CA is about 20 miles (40 km) from San Mateo, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 28 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 Cupertino, CA to San Mateo, CA takes about 3 min, covering roughly 20 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.
San Mateo has a population of 104,165, vs 59,763 in Cupertino — about 1.7× larger by population. By land area, San Mateo covers about 12 sq mi vs 11 sq mi for Cupertino.
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 | Cupertino | San Mateo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,501/mo | $2,971/mo | 17.8% higher in Cupertino |
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $1,508,900 | 32.5% higher in Cupertino |
| Median household income | $223,667 | $149,152 | 50.0% higher in Cupertino |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 108.1 | 2.9% higher in San Mateo |
| Utilities index | 153.8 | 168.3 | 9.4% higher in San Mateo |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 106.1 | 5.4% higher in San Mateo |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 106.0 | 5.4% higher in San Mateo |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Cupertino, you'd need $96,994 in San Mateo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Mateo, CA is about 3% cheaper overall than Cupertino, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 10% higher in Cupertino than in San Mateo. If you earn $80,000 in Cupertino, you'd need about $77,595 in San Mateo to keep the same standard of living.