Cost of Living: San Jose, CA vs Vista, 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 Vista, CA. In the model, rent is about 38.13% of gross in San Jose, CA versus 31.3% in Vista, CA, so Vista, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in San Jose, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Vista, 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 Vista, CA
31.3%
COLI tier: mid-range

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

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

Vista, 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) · Vista, CA: $2,041/mo

Median rent in San Jose, CA is $445/mo higher than in Vista, CA.

Median Home Price

San Jose, CA: $1,187,800 · Vista, CA: $674,400

Median home price in San Jose, CA is $513,400 higher than in Vista, CA.

Median Household Income

San Jose, CA: $141,565 · Vista, CA: $91,854

San Jose, CA has a higher median household income than Vista, CA by $49,711.

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