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 | Mountain View | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,855/mo | $2,526/mo | 13.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,833,300 | $1,149,600 | 59.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $174,156 | $136,010 | 28.0% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 125.1 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 104.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Mountain View, you'd need $88,475 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Jose, CA is about 11.5% cheaper overall than Mountain View, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 12% lower in San Jose than in Mountain View. If you earn $80,000 in Mountain View, you'd need about $70,780 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.