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 | Rapid City | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $975/mo | $2,526/mo | 61.4% lower in A |
| Median home value | $244,500 | $1,149,600 | 78.7% lower in A |
| Median household income | $62,784 | $136,010 | 53.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.7 | 104.8 | 8.7% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 82.9 | 147.2 | 43.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 93.4 | 101.6 | 8.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.0 | 101.4 | 7.3% 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 Rapid City, you'd need $178,710 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rapid City, SD is about 44% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 65% lower in Rapid City than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in Rapid City, you'd need about $142,968 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.