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 | Tacoma | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,526/mo | $1,489/mo | 69.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,149,600 | $415,300 | 176.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $136,010 | $79,085 | 72.0% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 114.4 | 93.6 | 22.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 141.7 | 89.2 | 59.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 125.8 | 120.5 | 4.4% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 132.6 | 128.1 | 3.5% higher 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 $71,741 in Tacoma to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tacoma, WA is about 28.3% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 41% lower in Tacoma than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in San Jose, you'd need about $57,392 in Tacoma to keep the same standard of living.