Cost of Living: Palm Desert, CA vs San Jose, CA
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Palm Desert, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Jose, CA. In the model, rent is about 25.01% of gross in Palm Desert, CA versus 38.13% in San Jose, CA, so Palm Desert, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Palm Desert, CA and San Jose, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Palm Desert, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Palm Desert, CA
- Lower home prices: Palm Desert, CA
- Higher median household income: San Jose, CA
Cost of Living Index
Palm Desert, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · San Jose, CA: 198.5 (U.S. = 100)
Palm Desert, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than San Jose, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Palm Desert, CA: $1,631/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Jose, CA: $2,486/mo
Median rent in San Jose, CA is $855/mo higher than in Palm Desert, CA.
Median Home Price
Palm Desert, CA: $491,600 · San Jose, CA: $1,187,800
Median home price in San Jose, CA is $696,200 higher than in Palm Desert, CA.
Median Household Income
Palm Desert, CA: $79,508 · San Jose, CA: $141,565
San Jose, CA has a higher median household income than Palm Desert, CA by $62,057.
Palm Desert, CA overview · San Jose, CA overview · Popular comparisons