Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Camarillo, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $3,596 in Camarillo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

176

Cost of Living Index in Camarillo, CA
Learn more

Camarillo, CA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Camarillo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,596

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,596 in Camarillo, CA versus $1,949 in San Jose.

Camarillo, CA $3,596
San Jose $1,949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,243 in Camarillo, CA versus $2,903 in San Jose.

Camarillo, CA $5,243
San Jose $2,903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,891 in Camarillo, CA versus $3,857 in San Jose.

Camarillo, CA $6,891
San Jose $3,857

Living in Camarillo, CA is roughly 84% 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: Camarillo, CA 168% above, San Jose 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.94 $24.94

$12.22 ₡5,510

104.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 $64.5

$60.1 ₡27.1K

7.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 $10.28

$11.77 ₡5,305

-12.66%

Cappuccino

$5.62 $5.62

$4.30 ₡1,939

30.70%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$2.72 ₡1,226

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.84 ₡830

5.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 $6.89

$3.28 ₡1,480

110.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.50 $9.50

$4.36 ₡1,966

117.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$2.38 ₡1,074

-49.58%

White Bread (500g)

$5.71 $5.71

$3.12 ₡1,408

83.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.41 ₡1,086

78.84%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$3.47 ₡1,564

41.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 $12.61

$10.57 ₡4,767

19.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.58 $20.58

$10.56 ₡4,758

94.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 $13.99

$13.75 ₡6,196

1.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$5.04 ₡2,274

12.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.61 ₡727

9.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$4.59 ₡2,069

-10.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 $6.39

$3.84 ₡1,731

66.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.77 ₡1,700

-6.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.76 ₡1,693

-6.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.12 ₡506

102.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.20 ₡1,441

-31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.48 $11.48

$5.84 ₡2,632

96.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$19.73 ₡8,897

-24.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.75 ₡1,240

-36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.66 ₡1,650

-12.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.46 ₡1,110

79.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.54 ₡692

21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.44 $35.44

$8.46 ₡3,815

318.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.55 ₡699

-7.74%

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

$36.9K $36.9K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

70.10%

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

$23.7K $23.7K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-32.10%

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

$219 $219

$94.7 ₡42.7K

130.83%

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

$72.0 $72.0

$35.11 ₡15.8K

104.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.3 $70.3

$58.6 ₡26.4K

20.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.06 $40.06

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-44.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 $12.17

$7.83 ₡3,532

55.43%

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

$1,958 $1,958

$971 ₡437.9K

101.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.5K $43.5K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

155.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 $74.3

$71.6 ₡32.3K

3.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.89 $19.89

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-63.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 $81.2

$129 ₡58.2K

-37.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 $168

$133 ₡60.0K

26.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$934 ₡420.9K

136.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,215 $2,215

$770 ₡347.2K

187.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,149 $4,149

$1,945 ₡876.7K

113.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,776 $3,776

$1,316 ₡593.5K

186.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,424 $6,424

$2,277 ₡1.0M

182.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,665 $5,665

$1,006 ₡453.5K

463.17%

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 Camarillo, CA: October 3, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Camarillo, CA

$2.2K 60.6%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 65.2% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Camarillo, CA

$474 13%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 15.8% $75

Eating Out

Camarillo, CA

$370 10.1%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 38.4% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Camarillo, CA

$361 9.9%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 47.8% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Camarillo, CA

$155 4.2%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 13.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Camarillo, CA

$64 1.8%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 36.4% $23

Getting Around

Camarillo, CA

$14 * 0.4%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 479% $66

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 $2,207 in Camarillo, CA and $934 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Camarillo, CA pays 463% 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: $64.0 in Camarillo, CA vs $60.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $474 vs $399 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Camarillo, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

11:58 11:58 AM

12:58 12:58 PM

1 h ahead of Camarillo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,489

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Camarillo, CA San Jose 4,460 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Camarillo, 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

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

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 463% higher in Camarillo, 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: $2,207 in Camarillo, CA versus $934 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Camarillo, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,596 per month in Camarillo, CA versus $1,949 in San Jose – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,949 in San Jose versus $3,596 in Camarillo, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Camarillo, 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 Camarillo, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Camarillo, 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 84% less than in Camarillo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.