2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Palo Alto, CA vs Arlington, VA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Arlington or is it cheaper to live in Palo Alto?
- Arlington is 28.9% less expensive than Palo Alto.

Which city has more affordable housing, Arlington or Palo Alto?
- Arlington housing costs are 76.4% less expensive than Palo Alto housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Palo Alto or is Health Care more affordable in Arlington.
- Health related expenses are 6.6% less in Arlington.
 Palo Alto, CAArlington, VAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock164.3100
 Food & Groceries124.4  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock100.6100
 Housing1,139.8  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$750,500$338,100
 Utilities90  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock122.5100
 Miscellaneous156.2  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Palo Alto    8 Reviews

The Bay Area in general, but Palo Alto specifically provides many of the qualities sought by many; the climate is beautiful, there is access to cultural and recreational  More

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Over 17 years ago

Very  More

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Over 18 years ago

VTA and SamsTrans and Caltrain all provide good service and most times frequency of service is  More

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Reviews for Arlington    36 Reviews

Lived here 17 years, amazing  More

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Resident for 20 years. There is nothing hidden about Arlington. It is an affluent inner suburb of DC with a highly educated, mostly professional, population. The  More

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We've lived in Arlington for the past 7 years, and have enjoyed it but would prefer a less expensive, more open area. We live in a townhouse in Rosslyn, close to the  More

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