Head to head
San Francisco, CA vs San Jose, CA
San Francisco is cheaper — estimated essentials for a single person run about $40/mo less, and living comfortably there takes roughly $1,000 less in annual salary (taxes included).
It flips for a family. For two adults with a pre-schooler and a school-age child, San Jose is the cheaper of the two — rent scales to household size using each city's own bedroom spread, and childcare varies even more sharply between cities than rent does.
| Metric | San Francisco58 | San Jose58 |
|---|---|---|
| Est. monthly cost (single) | $5,865 | $5,905 |
| Est. monthly cost (family of 4, incl. childcare) | $15,429 | $15,190 |
| Salary for comfort | $118,000/yr | $119,000/yr |
| Typical rent | $3,604 | $3,483 |
| Median home value | $1,380,500 | $1,187,800 |
| Median household income | $141,446 | $141,565 |
| Unemployment | 3.7% | 4.0% |
| Housing score | 12 | 16 |
| Jobs score | 69 | 66 |
| Safety score | 62 | 65 |
| Climate score | 100 | 100 |
| Amenities score | 85 | 83 |
| Population | 836.3K | 990.1K |
| Summer high / winter low | 67° / 46° | 83° / 42° |
Fit scores use the reference profile (single, $6,700/mo gross, default weights). Green marks the better value per row.
San Francisco, CA
San Jose, CA