2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Washington, DC vs San Jose, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in San Jose or is it cheaper to live in Washington?
- San Jose is 52.1% more expensive than Washington.

Which city has more affordable housing, San Jose or Washington?
- San Jose housing costs are 85.1% more expensive than Washington housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Washington or is Health Care more affordable in San Jose.
- Health related expenses are 12.8% more in San Jose.
 Washington, DCSan Jose, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock231.0100
 Food & Groceries114.1  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock107.7100
 Housing231.5  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$1,184,400$338,100
 Utilities106  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock151.0100
 Miscellaneous175.9  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Washington    97 Reviews

Over 4 years ago

Living in DC long term brings on a kind of insidious misery. A long, slow, simmering down of any natural optimism or desire for a better future. It’s a leach of a town  More

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Over 5 years ago

Parts are beautiful but alot is rundown and ghetto. They always show the monuments and upper nw neighborhoods but never show hoods across the Anacostia River. Crime is  More

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Moved to DC 40 years ago from Mpls-St. Paul. DC is an amazing town. Downside is people are very competitive, everything is expensive. Great restaurants, foodie heaven  More

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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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