Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Downey, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $3,035 in Downey, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Downey, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,035

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,035 in Downey, CA versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Downey, CA $3,035
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,713 in Downey, CA versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Downey, CA $4,713
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,391 in Downey, CA versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Downey, CA $6,391
San Jose $3,934

Living in Downey, CA is roughly 57% 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: Downey, CA 125% above, San Jose 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.83 $24.83

$12.38 ₡5,551

100.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 $80.2

$60.9 ₡27.3K

31.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 $15.21

$11.45 ₡5,135

32.84%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.39 ₡1,967

28.93%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$2.70 ₡1,211

17.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.93 ₡864

21.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.38 $7.38

$3.20 ₡1,433

130.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.36 $9.36

$4.41 ₡1,979

112.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.44 ₡1,093

-54.10%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.05 ₡1,369

34.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.41 ₡1,081

95.02%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$3.40 ₡1,523

37.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.75 ₡4,823

20.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.40 $13.40

$10.43 ₡4,679

28.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.25 $15.25

$13.99 ₡6,273

9.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$5.25 ₡2,353

-10.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.59 ₡712

3.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$4.69 ₡2,103

-11.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$3.95 ₡1,770

38.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$3.92 ₡1,760

-5.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.68 ₡1,651

-16.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.12 ₡503

81.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.19 ₡1,429

-30.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$6.00 ₡2,692

94.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 $14.98

$19.56 ₡8,771

-23.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.82 ₡1,263

-28.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.59 ₡1,611

16.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 $6.34

$2.50 ₡1,119

153.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.56 ₡701

-5.77%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

68.26%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-27.72%

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

$170 $170

$95.2 ₡42.7K

78.84%

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

$66.6 $66.6

$35.58 ₡16.0K

87.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.3 $72.3

$58.6 ₡26.3K

23.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.92 $34.92

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-51.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$7.58 ₡3,401

99.34%

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

$1,188 $1,188

$1,001 ₡449.0K

18.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 $58.6

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-16.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.89 $45.89

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-17.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$130 ₡58.2K

-29.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$131 ₡58.7K

10.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,946 $1,946

$927 ₡415.8K

109.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 $1,693

$774 ₡347.2K

118.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,725 $3,725

$1,967 ₡882.0K

89.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,383 $3,383

$1,288 ₡577.6K

162.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,755 $5,755

$2,274 ₡1.0M

153.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,766 $5,766

$1,831 ₡821.0K

214.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,178 $4,178

$1,016 ₡455.8K

311.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

8.62

-25.87%

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

Last update for Downey, 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

Downey, CA

$1.7K 55.8%

San Jose

$774 40% 54.3% $918

Groceries & Markets

Downey, CA

$419 13.8%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 4.3% $18

Eating Out

Downey, CA

$390 12.8%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 41.2% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Downey, CA

$309 10.2%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 38.7% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Downey, CA

$153 5.1%

San Jose

$174 9% 13.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Downey, CA

$65 2.2%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 34.8% $23

Getting Around

Downey, CA

$6.3 * 0.2%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 1192% $76

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 $1,946 in Downey, CA and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Downey, CA pays 311% 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: $80.0 in Downey, CA vs $61.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $401 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Downey, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

13:26 1:26 PM

1 h ahead of Downey, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,355

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

Downey, CA San Jose 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Downey, 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

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

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 311% higher in Downey, 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: $1,946 in Downey, 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 4% higher in Downey, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,035 per month in Downey, CA versus $1,938 in San Jose – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $3,035 in Downey, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Downey, 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 Downey, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Downey, 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 57% less than in Downey, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.