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 | Malden | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,962/mo | $2,526/mo | 22.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $570,600 | $1,149,600 | 50.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $90,295 | $136,010 | 33.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 100.0 | 104.8 | 4.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 133.9 | 147.2 | 9.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 101.3 | 101.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 103.9 | 101.4 | 2.5% 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 Malden, you'd need $120,979 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Malden, MA is about 17.3% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 28% lower in Malden than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in Malden, you'd need about $96,783 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.