Median rent is 8% lower in San Francisco ($2,419/mo vs $2,617/mo). Buying is cheaper in San Jose, where the median home runs $1,187,800 versus $1,380,500. Households earn more in San Jose ($141,565 vs $141,446 a year).
City A
San Francisco, CA
City B
San Jose, CA
How much would you need to earn in San Jose, CA to maintain your standard of living from San Francisco, CA?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each city's metro area. A rough estimate of overall purchasing power, not tax or take-home pay.
Metric
San Francisco
California
San Jose
California
👥Population
💰Median Household Income
Annual
🏠Median Gross Rent
Per month
🏡Median Home Value
📊Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
🔑1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🔑2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🔑3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🌬️Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
🏛️Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
🧾State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
🎂Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in San Francisco at $2,419/mo compared to $2,617/mo in San Jose (8% gap). Median home values are within 14% of each other: $1,380,500 in San Francisco and $1,187,800 in San Jose.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
California's top income tax rate is 13.30% versus 13.30% in California, so San Jose is more tax-friendly for high earners. Sales tax is 7.25% in California and 7.25% in California; San Jose has the lower rate (local add-ons may apply in both).
San Francisco
Income tax: 13.30%
Sales tax: 7.25%
San Jose
Income tax: 13.30%
Sales tax: 7.25%
Air quality data is available for San Jose (avg AQI 52.0) but not yet for San Francisco.
Is San Francisco cheaper than San Jose?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in San Francisco vs San Jose?
Median rent is $2,419/mo in San Francisco, CA and $2,617/mo in San Jose, CA. San Francisco, CA has the lower rent by about 8%.
Which has higher salaries — San Francisco or San Jose?
Median household income is $141,446 in San Francisco, CA and $141,565 in San Jose, CA. San Jose, CA has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Air quality data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Which has lower taxes — San Francisco or San Jose?
California's top income tax rate is 13.30% and California's is 13.30%. San Jose, CA has the lower rate.
What salary do I need in San Jose to match my San Francisco income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2024 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology