New York or San Jose

Based on 2026 cost of living data, New York is more affordable than San Jose. New York has a cost rating of 10/100, while San Jose has a cost rating of 84/100.

In terms of safety, San Jose ranks higher with a safety score of 75/100, compared to New York at 82/100. New York's safety score is 75/100 and San Jose's safety score is 82/100.

Average rent in New York is typically $4,000+ per month, whereas typical rent in San Jose averages $2,300 - $3,100 per month.

For New York, the visa process is rated as: Hard (US visa lottery and specialty visas are highly competitive.). For San Jose, the process is rated as: World Epicenter for H-1B, O-1 & EB-1 Sponsorship (Unrivaled employer sponsorship by Nvidia, Apple, Google, Adobe, Cisco, and thousands of AI startups.).