Santa Clara County · California
Cost of living in San Jose, CA
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Living in San Jose, CA costs 10.4% above the national average — an all-items price level of 110.4. To match the buying power of a $100,000 national-average salary you would need about $110,423 here.
- All items
- 110.4US average = 100
- Housing
- 211.9111.9% above the national average
- Goods
- 105.25.2% above the national average
- Other services
- 100.3in line with the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 105.2 | +5.2% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 211.9 | +111.9% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 156.7 | +56.7% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 100.3 | +0.3% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
What your salary is worth in San Jose, CA
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (110.4 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $128,202
- Needed to match US average
- $156,320
- Monthly difference
- $1,230
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
The median household in San Jose earns $141,565. Deflated by the local price level, that is $128,202 in national-average dollars — the BEA calls this real income, and it is simply income × 100 ÷ 110.4.
More on San Jose
Same city, other datasets.
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.