Cost of Living: San Jose, CA vs Simi Valley, 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 Simi Valley, CA. In the model, rent is about 38.13% of gross in San Jose, CA versus 36.62% in Simi Valley, CA, so Simi Valley, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in San Jose, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Simi Valley, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in San Jose, CA
38.13%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Simi Valley, CA
36.62%
COLI tier: mid-range

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

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

Simi Valley, 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) · Simi Valley, CA: $2,388/mo

Median rent in San Jose, CA is $98/mo higher than in Simi Valley, CA.

Median Home Price

San Jose, CA: $1,187,800 · Simi Valley, CA: $753,500

Median home price in San Jose, CA is $434,300 higher than in Simi Valley, CA.

Median Household Income

San Jose, CA: $141,565 · Simi Valley, CA: $117,703

San Jose, CA has a higher median household income than Simi Valley, CA by $23,862.

San Jose, CA overview · Simi Valley, CA overview · Popular comparisons