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 | Federal Way | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,660/mo | $2,526/mo | 34.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $454,300 | $1,149,600 | 60.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $80,360 | $136,010 | 40.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 104.8 | 0.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 102.5 | 147.2 | 30.4% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 106.2 | 101.6 | 4.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 106.0 | 101.4 | 4.5% 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 Federal Way, you'd need $124,014 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Federal Way, WA is about 19.4% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 30% lower in Federal Way than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in Federal Way, you'd need about $99,211 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.