City comparison
Oakland, CA is about 20 miles (30 km) from San Rafael, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 26 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 Oakland, CA to San Rafael, CA takes about 3 min, covering roughly 20 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.
Oakland has a population of 437,825, vs 60,891 in San Rafael — about 7.2× larger by population. By land area, Oakland covers about 56 sq mi vs 17 sq mi for San Rafael.
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 | Oakland | San Rafael | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,849/mo | $2,257/mo | 22.1% higher in San Rafael |
| Median home value | $883,800 | $1,212,000 | 37.1% higher in San Rafael |
| Median household income | $94,389 | $113,839 | 20.6% higher in San Rafael |
| Groceries index | 103.9 | 107.4 | 3.3% higher in San Rafael |
| Utilities index | 162.7 | 164.6 | 1.2% higher in San Rafael |
| Transportation index | 102.0 | 104.8 | 2.7% higher in San Rafael |
| Healthcare index | 100.2 | 104.8 | 4.6% higher in San Rafael |
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 $98,875 in San Rafael to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Rafael, CA is about 1.1% cheaper overall than Oakland, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% higher in Oakland than in San Rafael. If you earn $80,000 in Oakland, you'd need about $79,100 in San Rafael to keep the same standard of living.