City comparison
Dublin, CA is about 30 miles (40 km) from San Mateo, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 31 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 Dublin, CA to San Mateo, CA takes about 3 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.
San Mateo has a population of 104,165, vs 71,068 in Dublin — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, Dublin covers about 15 sq mi vs 12 sq mi for San Mateo.
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 | Dublin | San Mateo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,094/mo | $2,971/mo | 4.1% higher in Dublin |
| Median home value | $1,164,100 | $1,508,900 | 29.6% higher in San Mateo |
| Median household income | $191,039 | $149,152 | 28.1% higher in Dublin |
| Groceries index | 108.1 | 108.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 168.3 | 168.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 106.1 | 106.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 106.0 | 106.0 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Dublin, you'd need $99,749 in San Mateo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Dublin and San Mateo have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Dublin, you'd need about $79,799 in San Mateo to keep the same standard of living.