City comparison
Los Angeles, CA is about 300 miles (475 km) from San Jose, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 375 miles, or about 6 h 15 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 Los Angeles, CA to San Jose, CA takes about 36 min, covering roughly 300 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.
Los Angeles has a population of 3,881,041, vs 1,001,176 in San Jose — about 3.9× larger by population. By land area, Los Angeles covers about 470 sq mi vs 180 sq mi for San Jose.
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 | Los Angeles | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,791/mo | $2,526/mo | 41.0% higher in San Jose |
| Median home value | $822,600 | $1,149,600 | 39.8% higher in San Jose |
| Median household income | $76,244 | $136,010 | 78.4% higher in San Jose |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 105.1 | 1.3% higher in Los Angeles |
| Utilities index | 151.7 | 153.8 | 1.4% higher in San Jose |
| Transportation index | 104.0 | 100.7 | 3.3% higher in Los Angeles |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 100.6 | 3.7% higher in Los Angeles |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need $112,549 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Los Angeles, CA is about 11.1% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 26% higher in San Jose than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need about $90,039 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.