Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London, Canada and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,343 in London, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in London outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

112

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

London

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,343

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,343 in London versus $2,107 in San Jose.

London $2,343
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,375 in London versus $3,081 in San Jose.

London $3,375
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,408 in London versus $4,054 in San Jose.

London $4,408
San Jose $4,054

Living in London is roughly 11% 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: London 73% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.71 CA$30.31

$12.37 ₡5,572

75.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 CA$90.7

$62.4 ₡28.1K

4.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.49 CA$17.43

$11.71 ₡5,272

6.66%

Cappuccino

$3.90 CA$5.45

$4.54 ₡2,043

-14.10%

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

$2.20 CA$3.07

$2.75 ₡1,239

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 CA$3.08

$1.86 ₡839

18.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.26 CA$8.74

$3.35 ₡1,508

86.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.30 CA$8.80

$4.32 ₡1,947

45.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 CA$2.77

$2.36 ₡1,062

-16.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.70

$3.07 ₡1,381

-13.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.93 CA$5.49

$2.51 ₡1,129

56.57%

Eggs

$3.71 CA$5.17

$3.53 ₡1,588

5.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 CA$13.91

$10.54 ₡4,746

-5.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.71 CA$16.34

$10.57 ₡4,761

10.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.44 CA$21.56

$13.92 ₡6,270

10.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 CA$6.11

$5.20 ₡2,341

-15.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 CA$1.75

$1.65 ₡742

-23.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.44

$4.89 ₡2,201

-20.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 CA$5.80

$3.84 ₡1,730

8.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.34

$3.91 ₡1,760

-20.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 CA$4.53

$3.76 ₡1,694

-13.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CA$3.50

$1.12 ₡505

124.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.16

$3.22 ₡1,449

-51.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.12 CA$16.92

$6.02 ₡2,711

101.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 CA$17.94

$19.84 ₡8,932

-35.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.53

$2.81 ₡1,266

-9.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$3.65 ₡1,646

-19.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$1.08 ₡488

128.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.0 CA$112

$65.2 ₡29.4K

22.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 CA$3.58

$2.26 ₡1,019

13.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 CA$2.30

$1.78 ₡800

-7.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.18 CA$30.96

$7.90 ₡3,557

180.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.66

$1.50 ₡674

-20.67%

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

$27.1K CA$37.8K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-19.17%

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

$23.0K CA$32.1K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-45.60%

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

$141 CA$197

$93.2 ₡42.0K

51.09%

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

$40.31 CA$56.3

$36.13 ₡16.3K

11.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 CA$80.1

$60.6 ₡27.3K

-5.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.84 CA$50.0

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-48.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.49 CA$41.16

$24.94 ₡11.2K

18.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.68 CA$14.90

$7.67 ₡3,454

39.24%

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

$424 CA$591

$972 ₡437.6K

-56.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K CA$30.1K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

14.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 CA$76.4

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-22.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.35 CA$54.9

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-30.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.6 CA$115

$129 ₡57.9K

-35.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 CA$128

$131 ₡58.9K

-30.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 CA$1,805

$1,170 ₡526.7K

10.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 CA$1,592

$943 ₡424.7K

20.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,100 CA$2,931

$1,984 ₡893.3K

5.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,696 CA$2,368

$1,400 ₡630.5K

21.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,121 CA$5,752

$2,681 ₡1.2M

53.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,416 CA$4,768

$2,037 ₡917.1K

67.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,116 CA$4,349

$987 ₡444.3K

215.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

8.62

-45.24%

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

Last update for London: October 31, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$1.1K 48.7%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 17.3% $197

Groceries & Markets

London

$366 15.6%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 10% $37

Eating Out

London

$320 13.6%

San Jose

$232 11% 27.3% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$238 10.2%

San Jose

$190 9% 20.4% $49

Clothing & Footwear

London

$121 5.2%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 44.2% $53

Getting Around

London

$101 4.3%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 19.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

London

$57 2.4%

San Jose

$84 4% 47.4% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,293 in London and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays about 3.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $65 in London vs $62 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $366 vs $403, with London cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 London

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

16:01 4:01 PM

15:01 3:01 PM

1 h behind London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

383,822

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

London San Jose 3,690 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

London
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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

London vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in London is about 3.2 times higher, 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: $1,293 in London versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,343 per month in London versus $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in San Jose runs roughly 18% less than in London. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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.

It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, London on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.