City comparison
Cupertino, CA is about 30 miles (50 km) from South San Francisco, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 40 miles, or about 37 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 South San Francisco, CA takes about 4 min, covering roughly 30 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.
South San Francisco has a population of 65,596, vs 59,763 in Cupertino — about the same size. By land area, Cupertino covers about 11 sq mi vs 9.2 sq mi for South San Francisco.
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 | South San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,501/mo | $2,649/mo | 32.2% higher in Cupertino |
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $1,113,000 | 79.7% higher in Cupertino |
| Median household income | $223,667 | $127,062 | 76.0% higher in Cupertino |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 108.1 | 2.9% higher in South San Francisco |
| Utilities index | 153.8 | 168.3 | 9.4% higher in South San Francisco |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 106.1 | 5.4% higher in South San Francisco |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 106.0 | 5.4% higher in South San Francisco |
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 $96,377 in South San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
South San Francisco, CA is about 3.6% cheaper overall than Cupertino, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 11% higher in Cupertino than in South San Francisco. If you earn $80,000 in Cupertino, you'd need about $77,102 in South San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.