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 | Washington | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,526/mo | $1,817/mo | 39.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,149,600 | $705,000 | 63.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $136,010 | $101,722 | 33.7% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 101.9 | 2.1% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 87.6 | 42.8% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 90.0 | 16.3% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 92.8 | 12.2% 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 $71,934 in Washington to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Washington, DC is about 28.1% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 28% lower in Washington than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in San Jose, you'd need about $57,547 in Washington to keep the same standard of living.