City comparison
New York, NY vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 1.9% higher than in San Jose, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in San Jose, CA would need about $101,900 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $2,655 in New York, NY. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 43% in New York, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.1% moving from New York, NY to San Jose, CA ($125,431 → $133,060), while prices change by −1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.1% in real buying power.
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New York, NY | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 112.6 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,099 in San Jose | $101,938 in New York |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,655/mo | $2,982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 43% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,430 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New York | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.6 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 127.0 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 105.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 112.6 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New York, NY → San Jose, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
40 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → New York, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
36 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New York, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from New York, NY to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New York, NY | San Jose, CA | Real change, New York → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $77,161 | +8.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $93,358 | +8.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $111,896 | +8.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $133,060 | +8.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $157,236 | +8.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New York, NY | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in New York dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $96,900 | $102,860 | $104,853 (+8.2%) |
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $213,110 | $217,240 (+30.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $121,700 | $124,059 (+17.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $216,740 | $220,940 (+84.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.