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 | Seattle | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,526/mo | $1,945/mo | 29.9% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,149,600 | $879,900 | 30.7% higher in A |
| Median household income | $136,010 | $116,068 | 17.2% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 93.6 | 11.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 89.2 | 40.3% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 120.5 | 13.2% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 128.1 | 18.7% 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 San Jose, you'd need $76,999 in Seattle to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Seattle, WA is about 23% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 23% lower in Seattle than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in San Jose, you'd need about $61,599 in Seattle to keep the same standard of living.