Cost of Living
per year
per month
How San Mateo's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
Index: 100 = US city average. Values >100 mean more expensive, <100 means cheaper.
How far does your salary go in San Mateo?
Your $100,000 in San Mateo has the same purchasing power as $42,679 in the average US city. You'd need $57,321 more here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
San Mateo, California has a cost-of-living index of 234, which is 134% above the national average. The typical renter pays $2,971 per month. The median household earns $149,152 per year.
To match the lifestyle of a $70,000 earner in the average US city, you'd need about $164,017 per year in San Mateo. Single renters typically want at least three times the $35,652 threshold to cover housing comfortably.
San Mateo is more expensive than most US cities. Overall prices are 134% above the national average.