Cost of Living: Oakland, CA vs New York, NY

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Oakland, CA versus $4,116/mo in New York, NY. In the model, rent is about 27.93% of gross in Oakland, CA versus 25.92% in New York, NY, so New York, NY tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Oakland, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in New York, NY
$4,116/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Oakland, CA
27.93%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in New York, NY
25.92%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Oakland, CA and New York, NY.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Oakland, CA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): New York, NY
  • Lower home prices: New York, NY
  • Higher median household income: Oakland, CA

Cost of Living Index

Oakland, CA: 165.2 (U.S. = 100) · New York, NY: 168.2 (U.S. = 100)

Oakland, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than New York, NY, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Oakland, CA: $1,821/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · New York, NY: $1,690/mo

Median rent in Oakland, CA is $131/mo higher than in New York, NY.

Median Home Price

Oakland, CA: $924,700 · New York, NY: $751,700

Median home price in Oakland, CA is $173,000 higher than in New York, NY.

Median Household Income

Oakland, CA: $97,369 · New York, NY: $79,713

Oakland, CA has a higher median household income than New York, NY by $17,656.

Oakland, CA overview · New York, NY overview · Popular comparisons