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 | Towson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,526/mo | $1,695/mo | 49.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,149,600 | $408,100 | 181.7% higher in A |
| Median household income | $136,010 | $98,425 | 38.2% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.8 | 101.3 | 3.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 147.2 | 105.6 | 39.4% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 101.6 | 101.2 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 101.4 | 99.5 | 2.0% 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 $73,106 in Towson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Towson, MD is about 26.9% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 41% lower in Towson than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in San Jose, you'd need about $58,485 in Towson to keep the same standard of living.