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 | Detroit | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $989/mo | $2,526/mo | 60.8% lower in A |
| Median home value | $66,700 | $1,149,600 | 94.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $37,761 | $136,010 | 72.2% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 100.9 | 104.1 | 3.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 70.6 | 125.1 | 43.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 103.5 | 104.6 | 1.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 111.1 | 104.1 | 6.7% 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 Detroit, you'd need $255,397 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Detroit, MI is about 60.8% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 61% lower in Detroit than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in Detroit, you'd need about $204,318 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.