San Francisco vs San Jose
San Francisco, CA · San Jose, CA
San Jose is 7% cheaper than San Francisco overall.
Home Price
San: $1,350,000
San: $1,350,000
Monthly Rent
San: $3,498/mo
San: $2,195/mo
COL Index
San: 214
San: 198
Median Income
San: $131,000
San: $137,200
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in San Francisco has the same purchasing power as $92,523 in San Jose — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Home prices are similar in both cities — within 1% of each other.
Renting
Renting in San Jose saves you $1,303/month — $15,636 per year. Median rent: $3,498/mo in San Francisco vs $2,195/mo in San Jose.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, San Francisco owners pay roughly $8,505/year in property taxes vs $9,180/year in San Jose. That's a $675 annual difference.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $131,000 in San Francisco and $137,200 in San Jose. Incomes are similar, so cost of living differences matter more.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 34 minutes in San Francisco vs 30 minutes in San Jose. Commute times are nearly identical.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from San Francisco to San Jose, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in San Francisco | Equivalent in San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $46,262 | -$3,738 |
| $75,000 | $69,393 | -$5,607 |
| $100,000 | $92,523 | -$7,477 |
| $150,000 | $138,785 | -$11,215 |
| $200,000 | $185,047 | -$14,953 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
Mortgage Calculator
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Rent vs Buy
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Cost of Living
Full cost of living comparison tool
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Affordability Calculator
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Property Tax Calculator
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San Francisco Calculators
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San Francisco vs San Jose: Common Questions
Is San Francisco or San Jose cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, San Jose is cheaper overall. San Francisco has a COL index of 214 while San Jose scores 198 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between San Francisco and San Jose?
The median home price in San Francisco is $1,350,000 vs $1,350,000 in San Jose — a difference of $0 (0%).
What salary do I need in San Jose to match my San Francisco income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in San Francisco is equivalent to $92,523 in San Jose in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
San Francisco has a lower property tax rate (0.63% vs 0.68%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $8,505/year vs $9,180/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.