City comparison
Cupertino, CA is about 50 miles (80 km) from San Rafael, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 70 miles, or about 1 h 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 Rafael, CA takes about 6 min, covering roughly 50 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 Rafael has a population of 60,891, vs 59,763 in Cupertino — about the same size. By land area, San Rafael covers about 17 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 Rafael | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,501/mo | $2,257/mo | 55.1% higher in Cupertino |
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $1,212,000 | 65.0% higher in Cupertino |
| Median household income | $223,667 | $113,839 | 96.5% higher in Cupertino |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 107.4 | 2.2% higher in San Rafael |
| Utilities index | 153.8 | 164.6 | 7.0% higher in San Rafael |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 104.8 | 4.1% higher in San Rafael |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 104.8 | 4.1% higher in San Rafael |
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 $92,067 in San Rafael to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Rafael, CA is about 7.9% cheaper overall than Cupertino, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 20% higher in Cupertino than in San Rafael. If you earn $80,000 in Cupertino, you'd need about $73,653 in San Rafael to keep the same standard of living.