Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Davis, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $3,382 in Davis, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Davis, CA
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Davis, CA Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Davis, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,382

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,382 per month in Davis, CA vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Davis, CA $3,382
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $5,016 per month in Davis, CA vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Davis, CA $5,016
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $6,650 per month in Davis, CA vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Davis, CA $6,650
San Jose $3,934

Davis, CA costs about 75% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Davis, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Davis, CA by 151%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.16 $22.16

$12.38 ₡5,551

79.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$60.9 ₡27.3K

67.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.45 ₡5,135

12.66%

Cappuccino

$5.30 $5.30

$4.39 ₡1,967

20.73%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.70 ₡1,211

37.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.93 ₡864

23.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$3.20 ₡1,433

156.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 $8.10

$4.41 ₡1,979

83.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.44 ₡1,093

-45.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.05 ₡1,369

21.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.41 ₡1,081

73.44%

Eggs

$5.20 $5.20

$3.40 ₡1,523

52.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 $11.16

$10.75 ₡4,823

3.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.47 $15.47

$10.43 ₡4,679

48.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$13.99 ₡6,273

23.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$5.25 ₡2,353

-2.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.59 ₡712

2.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$4.69 ₡2,103

-8.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.95 ₡1,770

16.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.92 ₡1,760

-29.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.68 ₡1,651

-21.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.12 ₡503

97.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$3.19 ₡1,429

-27.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$6.00 ₡2,692

68.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.86 $15.86

$19.56 ₡8,771

-18.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.82 ₡1,263

-38.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.59 ₡1,611

-6.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.12 ₡503

32.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.89 $37.89

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-43.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.50 ₡1,119

18.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.63 ₡733

-4.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.28 $28.28

$8.50 ₡3,812

232.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.56 ₡701

-10.90%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

63.07%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-28.20%

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

$293 $293

$95.2 ₡42.7K

207.76%

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

$59.1 $59.1

$35.58 ₡16.0K

65.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 $75.7

$58.6 ₡26.3K

29.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.3 $58.3

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-19.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$15.57 $15.57

$7.58 ₡3,401

105.41%

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

$1,403 $1,403

$1,001 ₡449.0K

40.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

22.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 $54.6

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-22.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.84 $41.84

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-25.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 $97.4

$130 ₡58.2K

-24.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$131 ₡58.7K

-13.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 $2,203

$927 ₡415.8K

137.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 $1,887

$774 ₡347.2K

143.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,761 $3,761

$1,967 ₡882.0K

91.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,355 $3,355

$1,288 ₡577.6K

160.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,760 $2,760

$2,274 ₡1.0M

21.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,418 $2,418

$1,831 ₡821.0K

32.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,017 $5,017

$1,016 ₡455.8K

393.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

8.62

-29.23%

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

Last update for Davis, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Davis, CA

$1.9K 55.8%

San Jose

$774 40% 59% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Davis, CA

$428 12.7%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 55.7% $238

Groceries & Markets

Davis, CA

$423 12.5%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 5.3% $22

Eating Out

Davis, CA

$361 10.7%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 36.5% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Davis, CA

$138 4.1%

San Jose

$174 9% 25.8% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Davis, CA

$89 2.6%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 1.8% $1.6

Getting Around

Davis, CA

$55 1.6%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 50.1% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,203 in Davis, CA versus $927 in San Jose. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 394% higher in Davis, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Davis, CA versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $423 vs $401 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Davis, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

13:46 1:46 PM

14:46 2:46 PM

1 h ahead of Davis, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,850

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Davis, CA San Jose 4,910 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Davis, 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

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

Yes – Davis, CA is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,073 per month in Davis, CA and $2,907 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,382 in Davis, CA and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 75%.

Public transport costs about 76% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Davis, CA at $3,382. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Davis, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Davis, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.