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 Monica | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,526/mo | $2,227/mo | 13.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,149,600 | $1,654,800 | 30.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $136,010 | $106,797 | 27.4% 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 $88,163 in Santa Monica to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Santa Monica, CA is about 11.8% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 12% lower in Santa Monica than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in San Jose, you'd need about $70,531 in Santa Monica to keep the same standard of living.