Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cathedral City, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,593 in Cathedral City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cathedral City, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Cathedral City, CA
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Cathedral City, CA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Cathedral City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,593

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,593 in Cathedral City, CA versus $1,924 in San Jose.

Cathedral City, CA $2,593
San Jose $1,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,761 in Cathedral City, CA versus $2,926 in San Jose.

Cathedral City, CA $3,761
San Jose $2,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,929 in Cathedral City, CA versus $3,929 in San Jose.

Cathedral City, CA $4,929
San Jose $3,929

Living in Cathedral City, CA is roughly 35% 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: Cathedral City, CA 91% above, San Jose 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.94 $18.94

$12.29 ₡5,513

54.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 $74.2

$62.3 ₡27.9K

19.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 $11.12

$11.53 ₡5,171

-3.56%

Cappuccino

$4.94 $4.94

$4.35 ₡1,953

13.56%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$2.64 ₡1,183

-0.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.86 ₡836

4.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 $6.02

$3.32 ₡1,490

81.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.52 ₡2,026

56.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.39 ₡1,073

-57.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.08 ₡1,381

11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$2.50 ₡1,119

76.40%

Eggs

$4.12 $4.12

$3.48 ₡1,562

18.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 $12.05

$10.74 ₡4,815

12.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 $11.62

$10.32 ₡4,629

12.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.70 $15.70

$14.10 ₡6,325

11.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$5.03 ₡2,256

-0.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.59 ₡714

2.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$4.84 ₡2,171

-14.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$3.96 ₡1,776

15.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.76 ₡1,684

-25.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.73 ₡1,674

-26.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.08 ₡485

87.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.25 ₡1,456

-32.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.33 $9.33

$5.86 ₡2,627

59.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 $13.89

$20.28 ₡9,095

-31.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.90 ₡1,300

-36.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.73 ₡1,673

-10.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.08 ₡486

83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.50 ₡1,123

36.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.63 ₡732

-3.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.37 $29.37

$8.71 ₡3,904

237.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.58 ₡709

-43.67%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-12.67%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-39.71%

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

$186 $186

$93.7 ₡42.0K

98.87%

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

$53.1 $53.1

$35.42 ₡15.9K

49.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 $68.3

$60.0 ₡26.9K

13.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.44 $42.44

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-41.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$13.60 $13.60

$7.74 ₡3,471

75.71%

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

$1,315 $1,315

$1,005 ₡450.9K

30.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

37.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 $50.4

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-31.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 $39.39

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-28.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 $85.8

$128 ₡57.5K

-33.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$130 ₡58.5K

-13.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 $1,592

$932 ₡418.0K

70.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 $1,374

$760 ₡340.8K

80.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 $2,622

$1,922 ₡862.0K

36.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,223 $2,223

$1,276 ₡572.1K

74.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,814 $2,814

$2,301 ₡1.0M

22.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,417 $2,417

$1,833 ₡821.9K

31.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

8.62

-24.48%

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

Last update for Cathedral City, 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

Cathedral City, CA

$1.4K 53%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 44.7% $614

Groceries & Markets

Cathedral City, CA

$386 14.9%

San Jose

$403 21% 4.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cathedral City, CA

$308 11.9%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 38.6% $119

Eating Out

Cathedral City, CA

$307 11.8%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 25.4% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Cathedral City, CA

$130 5%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 34.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Cathedral City, CA

$70 2.7%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 26.5% $18

Getting Around

Cathedral City, CA

$19 * 0.7%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 318% $61

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 $1,592 in Cathedral City, CA and $932 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Cathedral City, CA vs $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $403, with Cathedral City, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cathedral City, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

06:24 6:24 AM

07:24 7:24 AM

1 h ahead of Cathedral City, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,493

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Cathedral City, CA San Jose 4,230 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cathedral City, 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

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

Cathedral City, CA and San Jose differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($2,593 vs $1,924 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,889 in Cathedral City, CA and $2,886 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: $1,592 in Cathedral City, CA versus $932 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,315 in Cathedral City, CA versus $1,005 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $74.0 in Cathedral City, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,593 in Cathedral City, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Cathedral City, 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, Cathedral City, 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 35% less than in Cathedral City, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.