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

San Jose vs Santa Cruz

$910/mo less in Santa Cruz

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 JoseSanta CruzAbout 36 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Santa Cruz costs you more
  • Rent over 30% of pay
  • 247 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $1,007/mo in Santa Cruz. $1,917/mo in San Jose. −$10,920 a year.

San Jose

$1,917

left each month

Santa Cruz

$1,007

−$910 vs San Jose

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Santa Cruz wins 2 of 4San Jose 2 · ties 0
$7,501Take-home · San Jose$5,704
$3,011Rent · Santa Cruz$2,638
$2,573Other bills · Santa Cruz$2,059
$1,917Left over · San Jose$1,007

Next

In 2022-2023, 1,098 households moved San Jose → Santa Cruz (avg AGI $181,278). 999 went the other way. The whole move →

−$910 / 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 JoseSanta Cruz
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Santa Cruz · this breakdownSan Jose · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between San Jose, CA and Santa Cruz, CA
Per monthSan JoseSanta CruzDifference
Gross pay$10,625$7,656−$2,969
Income and payroll tax$3,124$1,952−$1,172
Take-home pay$7,501$5,704−$1,797
Rent$3,011$2,638−$373
Getting around$746$489−$257
Groceries$504$433−$71
Healthcare$567$487−$80
Utilities$315$271−$44
Everything else$441$379−$62
Left over$1,917$1,007−$910

Salary to match San Jose

$110,000

Gross pay in Santa Cruz that leaves the same amount as $127,500 in San Jose.

Tax difference

+$3,313

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 29.4% in San Jose, 25.5% in Santa Cruz.

More about Santa Cruz

San Jose, CA in full

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

Santa Cruz, CA in full

State income tax topping out at 12.3%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $3,141 and 247 sunny days; commutes average 27 minutes.

The other way

Start in Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz → San Jose →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Santa Cruz than San Jose?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Santa Cruz leaves about $910 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $3,011 in San Jose and $2,638 in Santa Cruz.

Does Santa Cruz have state income tax?

Santa Cruz is in California, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from San Jose to Santa Cruz?

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 Jose and Santa Cruz 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.