Cost of Living: San Jose, CA vs Santa Monica, 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 Monica, CA. In the model, rent is about 38.13% of gross in San Jose, CA versus 34.06% in Santa Monica, CA, so Santa Monica, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between San Jose, CA and Santa Monica, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Santa Monica, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Santa Monica, CA
- Lower home prices: San Jose, CA
- Higher median household income: San Jose, CA
Cost of Living Index
San Jose, CA: 198.5 (U.S. = 100) · Santa Monica, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100)
Santa Monica, 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 Monica, CA: $2,221/mo
Median rent in San Jose, CA is $265/mo higher than in Santa Monica, CA.
Median Home Price
San Jose, CA: $1,187,800 · Santa Monica, CA: $1,810,200
Median home price in Santa Monica, CA is $622,400 higher than in San Jose, CA.
Median Household Income
San Jose, CA: $141,565 · Santa Monica, CA: $109,739
San Jose, CA has a higher median household income than Santa Monica, CA by $31,826.
San Jose, CA overview · Santa Monica, CA overview · Popular comparisons