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 | Union City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,526/mo | $1,415/mo | 78.5% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,149,600 | $448,000 | 156.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $136,010 | $59,967 | 126.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.8 | 107.5 | 2.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 147.2 | 118.7 | 24.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 101.6 | 102.9 | 1.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 101.4 | 105.5 | 3.9% 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 $79,320 in Union City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Union City, NJ is about 20.7% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 34% lower in Union City than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in San Jose, you'd need about $63,456 in Union City to keep the same standard of living.