Cost of Living in San Jose, California
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in San Jose, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 989,814
- Median household income
- $148,226
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 110.4
- Unemployment rate
- 5.5%
Is San Jose a good place to live?
San Jose is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 143 of the 178 other large US cities we track.
A typical worker in San Jose keeps $10,918 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living10% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$2,673 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$3,587 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in San Jose
Prices in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA area run 10% above the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 112% above the US average.
- Housing112% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)5% above the US average
- Utilities57% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)About the same as the US average
- All items10% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $2,673 | $32,076 |
| Food | $519 | $6,228 |
| Transportation | $410 | $4,920 |
| Healthcare | $353 | $4,236 |
| Utilities | $408 | $4,896 |
| Total before taxes | $4,363 | $52,356 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | San Jose | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,365 | $2,458 |
| 1 bedroom | $2,673 | $2,778 |
| 2 bedrooms | $3,147 | $3,272 |
| 3 bedrooms | $4,226 | $4,396 |
| 4 bedrooms | $4,510 | $4,688 |
Living in San Jose
How San Jose compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | San Jose | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $148,226 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $1,271,200 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $2,674 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 44.5% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 8.1% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 49% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 38.6 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 28.7 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 12.8% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 2.9% | 3.7% |
Home internet
7 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of San Jose, led by Xfinity, Etheric Networks, Verizon, T-Mobile. Fiber reaches 37.3% of homes and 95.5% can get gigabit speeds. Compare providers in San Jose
Pros and cons of living in San Jose
Pros
- Higher incomes. Median household income is $148,226, against $81,604 nationally.
- Paychecks go further. A typical worker keeps $10,918 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs, more than in 143 of 178 large cities.
- Fast home internet. 95.5% of homes can get gigabit speeds (FCC).
- Highly educated workforce. 49% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 36.9% nationally.
Cons
- Expensive rent. Median rent is $2,674 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
- Pricey homes to buy. The median home is worth $1,271,200, against $360,600 nationally.
- Higher cost of living. Prices are 10% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
What your job keeps in San Jose
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $84,050
- Federal income tax
- −$9,661
- Payroll taxes
- −$7,522
- State income tax
- −$3,587
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$32,076
- Everyday costs
- −$20,286
a year, or $910 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | $301,320 | $135,814 |
| Registered nurse | $216,740 | $90,149 |
| Software engineer | $213,110 | $87,860 |
| Data scientist | $185,080 | $70,053 |
| Mechanical engineer | $168,030 | $60,171 |
| Project manager | $135,120 | $41,165 |
| Accountant | $121,700 | $33,413 |
| Teacher | $104,786 | $23,307 |
| Electrician | $91,030 | $15,088 |
| Medical assistant | $61,940 | −$2,985 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in San Jose on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $7,201
- Carpenter $8,611
- Civil engineer $38,371
- Dental assistant $5,223
- Dental hygienist $43,978
- Dentist $84,582
- Diesel mechanic $13,862
- Financial analyst $46,820
- Firefighter $50,971
- HVAC technician $9,723
- Licensed practical nurse $17,652
- Lineman $54,159
- Nurse practitioner $98,399
- Nursing assistant −$6,710
- Occupational therapist $42,176
- Paralegal $19,999
- Paramedic $11,174
- Pharmacist $78,980
- Pharmacy technician $5,767
- Physical therapist $43,406
- Physician assistant $94,038
- Plumber $24,965
- Police officer $41,754
- Radiologic technologist $52,560
- Respiratory therapist $49,574
- Social worker $18,667
- Speech-language pathologist $39,780
- Truck driver $2,861
- Veterinarian $74,582
- Welder −$1,399
Compare San Jose with other cities
Compare San Jose with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to San Jose
10 licensed interstate movers are based in San Jose, and 3 more elsewhere in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is San Jose, CA a good place to live?
San Jose is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 143 of the 178 other large US cities we track. The typical worker here earns $84,050 and keeps $10,918 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in San Jose?
Prices in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA area are 10% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $2,673 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,691 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in San Jose?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $66,200 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA area earns $84,050.
What is the average rent in San Jose?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $2,365 for a studio, $2,673 for a 1-bedroom and $3,147 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in San Jose at $2,674 a month (2024).
Does San Jose have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $84,050, California state income tax comes to about $3,587 a year. San Jose has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve San Jose?
7 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of San Jose, led by Xfinity, Etheric Networks, Verizon, T-Mobile. 37.3% of homes can get fiber and 95.5% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate