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 | San Jose | Santa Ana | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,526/mo | $1,885/mo | 34.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,149,600 | $624,000 | 84.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $136,010 | $84,210 | 61.5% 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 San Jose, you'd need $74,625 in Santa Ana to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Santa Ana, CA is about 25.4% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% lower in Santa Ana than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in San Jose, you'd need about $59,700 in Santa Ana to keep the same standard of living.