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 | Oakland | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,849/mo | $2,526/mo | 26.8% lower in A |
| Median home value | $883,800 | $1,149,600 | 23.1% lower in A |
| Median household income | $94,389 | $136,010 | 30.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 58.2 | 104.1 | 44.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 62.4 | 125.1 | 50.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 59.8 | 104.6 | 42.8% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 38.9 | 104.1 | 62.6% 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 Oakland, you'd need $136,614 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Oakland, CA is about 26.8% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 27% lower in Oakland than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in Oakland, you'd need about $109,291 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.