Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $3,388 in Beverly Hills, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Beverly Hills, CA
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Beverly Hills, CA Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Beverly Hills, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,388

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beverly 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 Beverly Hills, CA and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,388 in Beverly Hills, CA versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Beverly Hills, CA $3,388
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,180 in Beverly Hills, CA versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Beverly Hills, CA $6,180
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,972 in Beverly Hills, CA versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Beverly Hills, CA $8,972
San Jose $3,934

Living in Beverly Hills, CA is roughly 75% 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: Beverly Hills, CA 151% above, San Jose 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.67 $26.67

$12.38 ₡5,551

115.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$60.9 ₡27.3K

95.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.26 $15.26

$11.45 ₡5,135

33.28%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$4.39 ₡1,967

38.04%

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

$3.64 $3.64

$2.70 ₡1,211

34.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.93 ₡864

43.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 $7.83

$3.20 ₡1,433

144.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.90 $9.90

$4.41 ₡1,979

124.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.44 ₡1,093

-55.33%

White Bread (500g)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.05 ₡1,369

60.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.41 ₡1,081

96.27%

Eggs

$5.62 $5.62

$3.40 ₡1,523

65.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.34 $11.34

$10.75 ₡4,823

5.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.89 $15.89

$10.43 ₡4,679

52.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.49 $19.49

$13.99 ₡6,273

39.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$5.25 ₡2,353

-1.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.59 ₡712

46.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.69 ₡2,103

-0.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$3.95 ₡1,770

37.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$3.92 ₡1,760

-17.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.68 ₡1,651

-23.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.12 ₡503

78.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.19 ₡1,429

-23.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.19 $13.19

$6.00 ₡2,692

119.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 $14.84

$19.56 ₡8,771

-24.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.82 ₡1,263

4.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.59 ₡1,611

-22.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.50 ₡1,119

25.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.63 ₡733

12.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.15 $32.15

$8.50 ₡3,812

278.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.56 ₡701

-2.56%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

62.64%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-23.76%

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

$127 $127

$95.2 ₡42.7K

33.54%

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

$78.1 $78.1

$35.58 ₡16.0K

119.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.8 $76.8

$58.6 ₡26.3K

30.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 $15.23

$7.58 ₡3,401

100.92%

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

$1,699 $1,699

$1,001 ₡449.0K

69.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.0K $32.0K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

87.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.7 $75.7

$70.5 ₡31.6K

7.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 $50.7

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-9.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 $99.2

$130 ₡58.2K

-23.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$217 $217

$131 ₡58.7K

66.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,354 $2,354

$927 ₡415.8K

153.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,986 $1,986

$774 ₡347.2K

156.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,488 $5,488

$1,967 ₡882.0K

179.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,586 $5,586

$1,288 ₡577.6K

333.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

8.62

-20.42%

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

Last update for Beverly Hills, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beverly Hills, CA

$2K 58.6%

San Jose

$774 40% 61% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Beverly Hills, CA

$461 13.6%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 13.1% $60

Eating Out

Beverly Hills, CA

$416 12.3%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 44.9% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beverly Hills, CA

$282 8.3%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 32.8% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Beverly Hills, CA

$199 5.9%

San Jose

$174 9% 12.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Beverly Hills, CA

$30 * 0.9%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 189% $57

Getting Around

Beverly Hills, CA

$12 * 0.4%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 568% $70

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,354 in Beverly Hills, CA and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $119 in Beverly Hills, CA vs $61.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $461 vs $401 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Beverly Hills, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

18:32 6:32 PM

19:32 7:32 PM

1 h ahead of Beverly Hills, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,979

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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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Between locations

Beverly Hills, CA San Jose 4,400 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Beverly 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

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

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,082 in Beverly Hills, CA and $2,907 in San Jose to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,354 in Beverly Hills, CA versus $927 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Beverly Hills, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,388 per month in Beverly Hills, CA versus $1,938 in San Jose – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $3,388 in Beverly Hills, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Beverly Hills, CA. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Jose is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Beverly Hills, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Beverly Hills, CA and San Jose are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Beverly Hills, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.