Cost of Living: San Jose, CA vs Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz, CA. In the model, rent is about 38.13% of gross in San Jose, CA versus 33.55% in Santa Cruz, CA, so Santa Cruz, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between San Jose, CA and Santa Cruz, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Santa Cruz, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Santa Cruz, CA
- Lower home prices: Santa Cruz, CA
- Higher median household income: San Jose, CA
Cost of Living Index
San Jose, CA: 198.5 (U.S. = 100) · Santa Cruz, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100)
Santa Cruz, 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) · Santa Cruz, CA: $2,187/mo
Median rent in San Jose, CA is $299/mo higher than in Santa Cruz, CA.
Median Home Price
San Jose, CA: $1,187,800 · Santa Cruz, CA: $1,180,100
Median home price in San Jose, CA is $7,700 higher than in Santa Cruz, CA.
Median Household Income
San Jose, CA: $141,565 · Santa Cruz, CA: $111,427
San Jose, CA has a higher median household income than Santa Cruz, CA by $30,138.
San Jose, CA overview · Santa Cruz, CA overview · Popular comparisons