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 | Jersey City | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,799/mo | $2,526/mo | 28.8% lower in A |
| Median home value | $500,100 | $1,149,600 | 56.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $91,151 | $136,010 | 33.0% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 103.2 | 114.4 | 9.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 147.4 | 141.7 | 4.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 125.8 | 19.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.9 | 132.6 | 24.6% 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 Jersey City, you'd need $128,072 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Jersey City, NJ is about 21.9% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 29% lower in Jersey City than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in Jersey City, you'd need about $102,457 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.