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 | Waltham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,526/mo | $2,141/mo | 18.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,149,600 | $679,000 | 69.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $136,010 | $113,443 | 19.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.8 | 100.0 | 4.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 147.2 | 133.9 | 9.9% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 101.6 | 101.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 101.4 | 103.9 | 2.4% 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 $83,842 in Waltham to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Waltham, MA is about 16.2% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 26% lower in Waltham than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in San Jose, you'd need about $67,074 in Waltham to keep the same standard of living.