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 | Waterloo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,526/mo | $865/mo | 192.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,149,600 | $142,000 | 709.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $136,010 | $54,104 | 151.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.8 | 94.5 | 10.9% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 147.2 | 86.1 | 71.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 101.6 | 94.1 | 7.9% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 101.4 | 94.8 | 7.0% 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 $53,590 in Waterloo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Waterloo, IA is about 46.4% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 69% lower in Waterloo than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in San Jose, you'd need about $42,872 in Waterloo to keep the same standard of living.