Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Angeles, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $27,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

203

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,259

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,949 in San Jose.

Los Angeles, CA $4,259
San Jose $1,949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,260 in Los Angeles, CA versus $2,903 in San Jose.

Los Angeles, CA $6,260
San Jose $2,903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,260 in Los Angeles, CA versus $3,857 in San Jose.

Los Angeles, CA $8,260
San Jose $3,857

Living in Los Angeles, CA is roughly 118% 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: Los Angeles, CA 218% above, San Jose 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.00 $27.00

$12.22 ₡5,510

120.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$60.1 ₡27.1K

103.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.98 $14.98

$11.77 ₡5,305

27.27%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$4.30 ₡1,939

35.81%

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

$3.77 $3.77

$2.72 ₡1,226

38.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.84 ₡830

45.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.28 ₡1,480

145.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$4.36 ₡1,966

125.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$2.38 ₡1,074

-45.38%

White Bread (500g)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.12 ₡1,408

55.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.41 ₡1,086

85.89%

Eggs

$6.14 $6.14

$3.47 ₡1,564

76.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$10.57 ₡4,767

7.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$10.56 ₡4,758

49.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.94 $19.94

$13.75 ₡6,196

45.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$5.04 ₡2,274

3.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.61 ₡727

44.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.59 ₡2,069

2.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$3.84 ₡1,731

47.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.77 ₡1,700

-13.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.76 ₡1,693

-23.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.12 ₡506

87.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.20 ₡1,441

-23.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.78 $12.78

$5.84 ₡2,632

118.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$19.73 ₡8,897

-23.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.75 ₡1,240

7.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.66 ₡1,650

-23.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.12 ₡503

59.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$65.1 ₡29.4K

59.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.46 ₡1,110

25.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.54 ₡692

22.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.58 $31.58

$8.46 ₡3,815

273.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.55 ₡699

4.52%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

73.57%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-24.49%

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

$288 $288

$94.7 ₡42.7K

204.11%

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

$77.9 $77.9

$35.11 ₡15.8K

121.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 $80.5

$58.6 ₡26.4K

37.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 $74.2

$72.2 ₡32.5K

2.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 $11.90

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-52.76%

Cinema Ticket

$19.79 $19.79

$7.83 ₡3,532

152.75%

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

$1,678 $1,678

$971 ₡437.9K

72.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

87.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 $91.3

$71.6 ₡32.3K

27.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 $65.7

$54.9 ₡24.7K

19.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$129 ₡58.2K

-5.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 $206

$133 ₡60.0K

54.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,545 $2,545

$934 ₡420.9K

172.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,443 $2,443

$770 ₡347.2K

217.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,518 $5,518

$1,945 ₡876.7K

183.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,275 $4,275

$1,316 ₡593.5K

224.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,211 $7,211

$2,277 ₡1.0M

216.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,930 $6,930

$1,795 ₡809.1K

286.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,173 $4,173

$1,006 ₡453.5K

314.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

8.62

-20.42%

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

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 6, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 68.5% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$467 11.1%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 14.6% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$446 10.6%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 57.8% $258

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$417 9.9%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 45.3% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.2%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 19.7% $43

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$124 2.9%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 35.5% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.7%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 22.8% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA and $934 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Angeles, CA pays 315% 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: $122 in Los Angeles, CA vs $60.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $467 vs $399 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

22:51 10:51 PM

23:51 11:51 PM

1 h ahead of Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Los Angeles, CA San Jose 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Angeles, 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

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

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 118% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 315% higher in Los Angeles, 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: $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA versus $934 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Jose runs roughly 60% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,678 in Los Angeles, CA versus $971 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,949 in San Jose versus $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.