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 | Santa Clara | Sunnyvale | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,841/mo | $2,990/mo | 5.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $1,440,200 | $1,680,700 | 14.3% lower in A |
| Median household income | $165,352 | $174,506 | 5.2% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 125.1 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 104.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Santa Clara, you'd need $105,244 in Sunnyvale to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Santa Clara, CA is about 5% cheaper overall than Sunnyvale, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% lower in Santa Clara than in Sunnyvale. If you earn $80,000 in Santa Clara, you'd need about $84,195 in Sunnyvale to keep the same standard of living.