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 | Reston | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,109/mo | $2,526/mo | 16.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $591,900 | $1,149,600 | 48.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $135,503 | $136,010 | 0.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 103.0 | 104.8 | 1.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 103.1 | 147.2 | 29.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 101.8 | 101.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 100.1 | 101.4 | 1.3% 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 Reston, you'd need $121,260 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Reston, VA is about 17.5% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% lower in Reston than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in Reston, you'd need about $97,008 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.