Cost of Living: Salinas, 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 Salinas, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Jose, CA. In the model, rent is about 28.03% of gross in Salinas, CA versus 38.13% in San Jose, CA, so Salinas, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Salinas, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in San Jose, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Salinas, CA
28.03%
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 Salinas, CA and San Jose, CA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

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

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

Median Rent

Salinas, CA: $1,827/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Jose, CA: $2,486/mo

Median rent in San Jose, CA is $659/mo higher than in Salinas, CA.

Median Home Price

Salinas, CA: $610,900 · San Jose, CA: $1,187,800

Median home price in San Jose, CA is $576,900 higher than in Salinas, CA.

Median Household Income

Salinas, CA: $89,150 · San Jose, CA: $141,565

San Jose, CA has a higher median household income than Salinas, CA by $52,415.

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