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 | Wheaton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,526/mo | $2,039/mo | 23.9% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,149,600 | $454,600 | 152.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $136,010 | $101,229 | 34.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.8 | 103.0 | 1.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 147.2 | 103.1 | 42.7% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 101.6 | 101.8 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 101.4 | 100.1 | 1.4% 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 $81,998 in Wheaton to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Wheaton, MD is about 18% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 26% lower in Wheaton than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in San Jose, you'd need about $65,598 in Wheaton to keep the same standard of living.