Cost of Living: San Jose, CA vs Los Angeles, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in San Jose, CA versus $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 38.13% of gross in San Jose, CA versus 25.99% in Los Angeles, CA, so Los Angeles, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in San Jose, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Los Angeles, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in San Jose, CA
38.13%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Los Angeles, CA
25.99%
COLI tier: very high-cost

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

San Jose, CA: 198.5 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

San Jose, CA: $2,486/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo

Median rent in San Jose, CA is $791/mo higher than in Los Angeles, CA.

Median Home Price

San Jose, CA: $1,187,800 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700

Median home price in San Jose, CA is $530,100 higher than in Los Angeles, CA.

Median Household Income

San Jose, CA: $141,565 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785

San Jose, CA has a higher median household income than Los Angeles, CA by $66,780.

San Jose, CA overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons