Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Agoura Hills, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,874 in Agoura Hills, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Agoura Hills, CA
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Agoura Hills, CA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Agoura Hills, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,874

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Agoura Hills, CA and in San Jose

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Agoura Hills, CA and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,874 in Agoura Hills, CA versus $1,924 in San Jose.

Agoura Hills, CA $2,874
San Jose $1,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,272 in Agoura Hills, CA versus $2,926 in San Jose.

Agoura Hills, CA $4,272
San Jose $2,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,670 in Agoura Hills, CA versus $3,929 in San Jose.

Agoura Hills, CA $5,670
San Jose $3,929

Living in Agoura Hills, CA is roughly 49% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Agoura Hills, CA 112% above, San Jose 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.06 $25.06

$12.29 ₡5,513

103.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.9 $99.9

$62.3 ₡27.9K

60.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 $11.56

$11.53 ₡5,171

0.26%

Cappuccino

$5.57 $5.57

$4.35 ₡1,953

28.05%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.64 ₡1,183

7.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.86 ₡836

8.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$3.32 ₡1,490

144.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.80 $9.80

$4.52 ₡2,026

116.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.39 ₡1,073

-50.63%

White Bread (500g)

$5.61 $5.61

$3.08 ₡1,381

82.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.50 ₡1,119

72.40%

Eggs

$5.11 $5.11

$3.48 ₡1,562

46.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 $12.48

$10.74 ₡4,815

16.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.74 $20.74

$10.32 ₡4,629

100.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.08 $14.08

$14.10 ₡6,325

-0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$5.03 ₡2,256

8.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.59 ₡714

8.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$4.84 ₡2,171

-15.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.70 $6.70

$3.96 ₡1,776

69.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.76 ₡1,684

-6.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.73 ₡1,674

-5.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.08 ₡485

122.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$3.25 ₡1,456

-30.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.88 $11.88

$5.86 ₡2,627

102.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 $14.75

$20.28 ₡9,095

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.90 ₡1,300

-39.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 $3.23

$3.73 ₡1,673

-13.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.08 ₡486

87.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.0 $79.0

$65.5 ₡29.4K

20.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 $4.45

$2.50 ₡1,123

78.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.63 ₡732

17.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.60 $35.60

$8.71 ₡3,904

308.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.58 ₡709

-3.80%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.0K $28.0K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-16.61%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-35.59%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$212 $212

$93.7 ₡42.0K

126.26%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$70.3 $70.3

$35.42 ₡15.9K

98.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 $69.0

$60.0 ₡26.9K

14.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.60 $49.60

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-31.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 $12.24

$7.74 ₡3,471

58.14%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,922 $1,922

$1,005 ₡450.9K

91.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.6K $43.6K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

157.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.2 $73.2

$73.1 ₡32.8K

0.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 $40.56

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-26.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 $81.5

$128 ₡57.5K

-36.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 $171

$130 ₡58.5K

31.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,571 $1,571

$932 ₡418.0K

68.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 $1,325

$760 ₡340.8K

74.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,505 $2,505

$1,922 ₡862.0K

30.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 $2,155

$1,276 ₡572.1K

68.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,698 $2,698

$2,301 ₡1.0M

17.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,350 $2,350

$1,833 ₡821.9K

28.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,648 $4,648

$1,029 ₡461.3K

351.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Agoura Hills, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Agoura Hills, CA

$1.3K 46.1%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 42.6% $565

Groceries & Markets

Agoura Hills, CA

$476 16.6%

San Jose

$403 21% 15.3% $73

Eating Out

Agoura Hills, CA

$382 13.3%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 40% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Agoura Hills, CA

$351 12.2%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 46.2% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Agoura Hills, CA

$165 5.7%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 5.7% $9.5

Getting Around

Agoura Hills, CA

$101 3.5%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 20.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Agoura Hills, CA

$74 2.6%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 18.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,571 in Agoura Hills, CA and $932 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Agoura Hills, CA pays 352% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $100 in Agoura Hills, CA vs $62.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $476 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Agoura Hills, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

17:33 5:33 PM

18:33 6:33 PM

1 h ahead of Agoura Hills, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,666

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Agoura Hills, CA San Jose 4,440 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Agoura Hills, CA
San Jose

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Agoura Hills, CA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Agoura Hills, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 352% higher in Agoura Hills, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,571 in Agoura Hills, CA versus $932 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,922 in Agoura Hills, CA versus $1,005 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Agoura Hills, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,874 in Agoura Hills, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Agoura Hills, CA. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,924 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Agoura Hills, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.