San Francisco or San Jose

Based on 2026 cost of living data, San Jose is more affordable than San Francisco. San Francisco 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 82/100, compared to San Francisco at 60/100. San Francisco's safety score is 60/100 and San Jose's safety score is 82/100.

Average rent in San Francisco is typically $3,200+ per month, whereas typical rent in San Jose averages $2,300 - $3,100 per month.

For San Francisco, the visa process is rated as: Hard (Standard US H1B/L1 paths apply; extremely 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.).