Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brentwood, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,609 in Brentwood, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brentwood, CA
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Brentwood, CA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Brentwood, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,609 in Brentwood, CA versus $1,924 in San Jose.

Brentwood, CA $2,609
San Jose $1,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,005 in Brentwood, CA versus $2,926 in San Jose.

Brentwood, CA $4,005
San Jose $2,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,401 in Brentwood, CA versus $3,929 in San Jose.

Brentwood, CA $5,401
San Jose $3,929

Living in Brentwood, CA is roughly 36% 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: Brentwood, CA 93% above, San Jose 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.11 $25.11

$12.29 ₡5,513

104.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 $112

$62.3 ₡27.9K

79.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.08 $15.08

$11.53 ₡5,171

30.79%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.35 ₡1,953

28.51%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$2.64 ₡1,183

15.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.86 ₡836

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.91 $8.91

$3.32 ₡1,490

168.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.78 $7.78

$4.52 ₡2,026

72.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.39 ₡1,073

-47.28%

White Bread (500g)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.08 ₡1,381

40.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.50 ₡1,119

90.00%

Eggs

$5.42 $5.42

$3.48 ₡1,562

55.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.69 $24.69

$10.74 ₡4,815

129.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 $11.72

$10.32 ₡4,629

13.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 $13.17

$14.10 ₡6,325

-6.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$5.03 ₡2,256

7.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.59 ₡714

92.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$4.84 ₡2,171

-2.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.96 ₡1,776

48.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$3.76 ₡1,684

-12.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.73 ₡1,674

3.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.08 ₡485

174.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$3.25 ₡1,456

-16.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$5.86 ₡2,627

99.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.08 $13.08

$20.28 ₡9,095

-35.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.90 ₡1,300

-25.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.73 ₡1,673

-31.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.08 ₡486

79.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.50 ₡1,123

57.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.63 ₡732

4.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.36 $32.36

$8.71 ₡3,904

271.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.58 ₡709

-2.53%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-17.68%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-34.50%

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

$137 $137

$93.7 ₡42.0K

46.53%

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

$39.77 $39.77

$35.42 ₡15.9K

12.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$60.0 ₡26.9K

3.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.88 $39.88

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-45.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 $17.89

$7.74 ₡3,471

131.14%

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

$2,330 $2,330

$1,005 ₡450.9K

131.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

41.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 $52.1

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-28.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.73 $39.73

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-28.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 $76.2

$128 ₡57.5K

-40.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.0 $59.0

$130 ₡58.5K

-54.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 $1,791

$932 ₡418.0K

92.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,309 $1,309

$760 ₡340.8K

72.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,551 $2,551

$1,922 ₡862.0K

32.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,270 $2,270

$1,276 ₡572.1K

77.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,730 $2,730

$2,301 ₡1.0M

18.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,181 $2,181

$1,833 ₡821.9K

19.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,395 $6,395

$1,029 ₡461.3K

521.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

8.62

-22.39%

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

Last update for Brentwood, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brentwood, CA

$1.3K 50.2%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 42% $549

Groceries & Markets

Brentwood, CA

$466 17.9%

San Jose

$403 21% 13.6% $63

Eating Out

Brentwood, CA

$395 15.2%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 42.1% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brentwood, CA

$239 9.2%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 21% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Brentwood, CA

$102 3.9%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 70.5% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Brentwood, CA

$76 2.9%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 16.4% $12

Getting Around

Brentwood, CA

$20 * 0.8%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 298% $60

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 $1,791 in Brentwood, CA and $932 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brentwood, CA pays 522% 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: $112 in Brentwood, CA vs $62.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $466 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brentwood, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

03:58 3:58 AM

04:58 4:58 AM

1 h ahead of Brentwood, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,474

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Brentwood, CA San Jose 4,870 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Brentwood, 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

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

Brentwood, CA and San Jose differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($2,609 vs $1,924 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 522% higher in Brentwood, 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: $1,791 in Brentwood, CA versus $932 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Brentwood, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,609 per month in Brentwood, CA versus $1,924 in San Jose – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,609 in Brentwood, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Brentwood, CA. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Brentwood, 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 36% less than in Brentwood, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.