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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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San Diego skyline
Boatguy619. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License
San Jose skyline
Michael from San Jose, California, USA. CC BY 2.0. Photo source · License

San Diego vs San Jose

$326/mo more in San Jose

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

San DiegoSan JoseAbout 374 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • San Jose leaves you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • 257 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $1,906/mo in San Jose. $1,580/mo in San Diego. +$3,912 a year.

San Diego

$1,580

left each month

San Jose

$1,906

+$326 vs San Diego

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

San Jose wins 2 of 4San Diego 2 · ties 0
$6,219Take-home · San Jose$7,490
$2,292Rent · San Diego$3,011
$2,347Other bills · San Diego$2,573
$1,580Left over · San Jose$1,906

Next

In 2022-2023, 1,217 households moved San Diego → San Jose (avg AGI $132,652). 1,609 went the other way. The whole move →

+$326 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthSan DiegoSan Jose
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San Jose · this breakdownSan Diego · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between San Diego, CA and San Jose, CA
Per monthSan DiegoSan JoseDifference
Gross pay$8,500$10,606+$2,106
Income and payroll tax$2,281$3,116+$835
Take-home pay$6,219$7,490+$1,271
Rent$2,292$3,011+$719
Getting around$650$746+$96
Groceries$468$504+$36
Healthcare$527$567+$40
Utilities$293$315+$22
Everything else$410$441+$31
Left over$1,580$1,906+$326

Salary to match San Diego

$120,500

Gross pay in San Jose that leaves the same amount as $102,000 in San Diego.

Tax difference

−$2,350

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 26.8% in San Diego, 29.4% in San Jose.

More about San Jose

San Diego, CA in full

The best climate in the country and rents that know it.

San Jose, CA in full

The highest salaries in the country, almost entirely cancelled out by the highest rents.

The other way

Start in San Jose.

San Jose → San Diego →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in San Jose than San Diego?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, San Jose leaves about $326 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $2,292 in San Diego and $3,011 in San Jose.

Does San Jose have state income tax?

San Jose is in California, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from San Diego to San Jose?

The paycheck is taxed in California. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.

Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between San Diego and San Jose changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.

Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.