Cost of Living: Arlington, MA vs San Jose, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,224/mo in Arlington, MA versus $3,974/mo in San Jose, CA. In the model, rent is about 29.78% of gross in Arlington, MA versus 38.13% in San Jose, CA, so Arlington, MA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Arlington, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in San Jose, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Arlington, MA
29.78%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in San Jose, CA
38.13%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Arlington, MA and San Jose, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Arlington, MA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Arlington, MA
  • Lower home prices: Arlington, MA
  • Higher median household income: San Jose, CA

Cost of Living Index

Arlington, MA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · San Jose, CA: 198.5 (U.S. = 100)

Arlington, MA has a lower cost-of-living index than San Jose, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Arlington, MA: $1,941/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Jose, CA: $2,486/mo

Median rent in San Jose, CA is $545/mo higher than in Arlington, MA.

Median Home Price

Arlington, MA: $885,000 · San Jose, CA: $1,187,800

Median home price in San Jose, CA is $302,800 higher than in Arlington, MA.

Median Household Income

Arlington, MA: $141,440 · San Jose, CA: $141,565

San Jose, CA has a higher median household income than Arlington, MA by $125.

Arlington, MA overview · San Jose, CA overview · Popular comparisons