Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hermosa Beach, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,748 in Hermosa Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Hermosa Beach, CA
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Hermosa Beach, CA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Hermosa Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,748

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,748 per month in Hermosa Beach, CA vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Hermosa Beach, CA $2,748
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $4,129 per month in Hermosa Beach, CA vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Hermosa Beach, CA $4,129
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $5,511 per month in Hermosa Beach, CA vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Hermosa Beach, CA $5,511
San Jose $3,929

Hermosa Beach, CA costs about 43% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hermosa Beach, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Hermosa Beach, CA by 103%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.31 $25.31

$12.29 ₡5,513

105.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 $121

$62.3 ₡27.9K

93.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.05 $15.05

$11.53 ₡5,171

30.53%

Cappuccino

$6.10 $6.10

$4.35 ₡1,953

40.23%

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

$3.07 $3.07

$2.64 ₡1,183

16.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.86 ₡836

24.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 $7.88

$3.32 ₡1,490

137.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.03 $10.03

$4.52 ₡2,026

121.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.39 ₡1,073

-46.44%

White Bread (500g)

$4.70 $4.70

$3.08 ₡1,381

52.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$2.50 ₡1,119

89.60%

Eggs

$5.51 $5.51

$3.48 ₡1,562

58.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 $11.56

$10.74 ₡4,815

7.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 $9.02

$10.32 ₡4,629

-12.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.23 $19.23

$14.10 ₡6,325

36.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.03 ₡2,256

-6.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.59 ₡714

44.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$4.84 ₡2,171

-18.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$3.96 ₡1,776

41.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$3.76 ₡1,684

-13.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.73 ₡1,674

-22.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.08 ₡485

85.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.25 ₡1,456

-24.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.95 $11.95

$5.86 ₡2,627

103.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$20.28 ₡9,095

-26.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.90 ₡1,300

-15.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.73 ₡1,673

-25.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.08 ₡486

81.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.50 ₡1,123

21.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.63 ₡732

11.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.13 $32.13

$8.71 ₡3,904

268.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.58 ₡709

-2.53%

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

$29.0K $29.0K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-13.79%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-35.49%

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

$217 $217

$93.7 ₡42.0K

131.93%

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

$77.3 $77.3

$35.42 ₡15.9K

118.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.2 $76.2

$60.0 ₡26.9K

27.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.90 $41.90

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-42.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.06 $15.06

$25.83 ₡11.6K

-41.70%

Cinema Ticket

$17.68 $17.68

$7.74 ₡3,471

128.42%

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

$1,636 $1,636

$1,005 ₡450.9K

62.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K $12.5K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-26.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 $61.7

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-15.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.44 $48.44

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-12.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$128 ₡57.5K

-17.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$130 ₡58.5K

-19.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 $1,566

$932 ₡418.0K

67.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 $1,314

$760 ₡340.8K

72.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 $2,537

$1,922 ₡862.0K

32.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 $2,150

$1,276 ₡572.1K

68.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,944 $2,944

$2,301 ₡1.0M

27.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,224 $2,224

$1,833 ₡821.9K

21.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,062 $7,062

$1,029 ₡461.3K

586.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

8.62

-26.80%

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

Last update for Hermosa Beach, CA: October 20, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hermosa Beach, CA

$1.3K 47.8%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 42.2% $554

Groceries & Markets

Hermosa Beach, CA

$420 15.3%

San Jose

$403 21% 3.9% $17

Eating Out

Hermosa Beach, CA

$402 14.6%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 43% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hermosa Beach, CA

$371 13.5%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 49% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Hermosa Beach, CA

$144 5.2%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 20.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Hermosa Beach, CA

$77 2.8%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 14% $11

Getting Around

Hermosa Beach, CA

$20 * 0.7%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 303% $60

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,566 in Hermosa Beach, CA versus $932 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 587% higher in Hermosa Beach, 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 $121 in Hermosa Beach, CA versus $62.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $420 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hermosa Beach, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

14:30 2:30 PM

1 h ahead of Hermosa Beach, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,728

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 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

Hermosa Beach, CA San Jose 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hermosa Beach, 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

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

Yes – Hermosa Beach, CA is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,121 per month in Hermosa Beach, CA and $2,886 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 $2,748 in Hermosa Beach, CA and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 43%.

Kindergarten costs $1,636 per month in Hermosa Beach, CA and $1,005 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Hermosa Beach, CA at $2,748. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hermosa Beach, 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, Hermosa Beach, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.