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 | Dubuque | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $915/mo | $2,526/mo | 63.8% lower in A |
| Median home value | $178,000 | $1,149,600 | 84.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $63,520 | $136,010 | 53.3% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 104.8 | 9.9% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 84.4 | 147.2 | 42.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 94.1 | 101.6 | 7.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 101.4 | 6.6% lower 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 Dubuque, you'd need $185,186 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Dubuque, IA is about 46% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 68% lower in Dubuque than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in Dubuque, you'd need about $148,149 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.