Cost of Living: Petaluma, 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 Petaluma, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Jose, CA. In the model, rent is about 34.66% of gross in Petaluma, CA versus 38.13% in San Jose, CA, so Petaluma, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Petaluma, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in San Jose, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Petaluma, CA
34.66%
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 Petaluma, CA and San Jose, CA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

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

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

Median Rent

Petaluma, CA: $2,260/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Jose, CA: $2,486/mo

Median rent in San Jose, CA is $226/mo higher than in Petaluma, CA.

Median Home Price

Petaluma, CA: $834,900 · San Jose, CA: $1,187,800

Median home price in San Jose, CA is $352,900 higher than in Petaluma, CA.

Median Household Income

Petaluma, CA: $109,823 · San Jose, CA: $141,565

San Jose, CA has a higher median household income than Petaluma, CA by $31,742.

Petaluma, CA overview · San Jose, CA overview · Popular comparisons