2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
San Jose, CA vs Lake Forest, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Lake Forest or is it cheaper to live in San Jose?
- Lake Forest is 28.6% less expensive than San Jose.

Which city has more affordable housing, Lake Forest or San Jose?
- Lake Forest housing costs are 30.0% less expensive than San Jose housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in San Jose or is Health Care more affordable in Lake Forest.
- Health related expenses are 13.3% less in Lake Forest.
 San Jose, CALake Forest, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock164.9100
 Food & Groceries113.7  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock93.4100
 Housing428.5  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$937,500$338,100
 Utilities97  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock111.6100
 Miscellaneous155.8  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for San Jose    90 Reviews

I've lived in west San Jose/Cambrian, between Los Gatos and Almaden SJ since 1997. This side of town somehow avoided the erosion of the American dream. Houses are  More

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I lived in San Jose for 40 years. That’s during the most exciting time when the Silicon Valley was booming with real technology and San Jose was ranked as the safest big  More

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Over 4 years ago

I've lived in San Jose, CA for 25 years. This city is being over run with crime and gangs. The cost of living is very high. Granted, you are so close to mountains,  More

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Reviews for Lake Forest    16 Reviews

I've lived in Lake Forest for over a decade, before that elsewhere in OC and also up in LA. Lake Forest isn't perfect but it's really improved over the past decade,  More

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As a retired senior who has lived in Lake Forest (formerly El Toro) since 1977 I think LF is a great place if you can afford it. When we moved here in June '77 homes  More

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I’ve lived here for 2 years. Ok, it’s more like a 4 but there are so many idiots downplaying what it’s like here and giving Lake Forest ones and twos. There are a lot of  More

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