Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $4,903 in Los Gatos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $35,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

236

Cost of Living Index in Los Gatos, CA
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Los Gatos, CA Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Los Gatos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,903

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,903 per month in Los Gatos, CA vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Los Gatos, CA $4,903
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $7,295 per month in Los Gatos, CA vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Los Gatos, CA $7,295
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $9,686 per month in Los Gatos, CA vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Los Gatos, CA $9,686
San Jose $3,934

Los Gatos, CA costs about 153% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Los Gatos, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Los Gatos, CA by 263%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.15 $25.15

$12.38 ₡5,551

103.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$60.9 ₡27.3K

61.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 $14.88

$11.45 ₡5,135

29.96%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.39 ₡1,967

48.06%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$2.70 ₡1,211

12.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.93 ₡864

26.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$3.20 ₡1,433

152.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$4.41 ₡1,979

85.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.44 ₡1,093

-47.54%

White Bread (500g)

$4.41 $4.41

$3.05 ₡1,369

44.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.41 ₡1,081

99.17%

Eggs

$6.56 $6.56

$3.40 ₡1,523

92.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.81 $24.81

$10.75 ₡4,823

130.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 $11.69

$10.43 ₡4,679

12.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.00 $13.00

$13.99 ₡6,273

-7.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$5.25 ₡2,353

6.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.59 ₡712

94.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$4.69 ₡2,103

3.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$3.95 ₡1,770

44.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.92 ₡1,760

-13.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.68 ₡1,651

5.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.12 ₡503

173.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.19 ₡1,429

-14.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.36 $7.36

$6.00 ₡2,692

22.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.81 $12.81

$19.56 ₡8,771

-34.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.82 ₡1,263

-23.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.59 ₡1,611

-28.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.50 ₡1,119

58.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.63 ₡733

205.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.56 ₡701

0.64%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

34.78%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-25.78%

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

$374 $374

$95.2 ₡42.7K

293.28%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$35.58 ₡16.0K

62.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.8 $61.8

$58.6 ₡26.3K

5.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$147 $147

$72.7 ₡32.6K

102.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$17.05 $17.05

$7.58 ₡3,401

124.93%

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

$2,282 $2,282

$1,001 ₡449.0K

127.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

40.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 $52.0

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-26.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 $39.24

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-29.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 $75.1

$130 ₡58.2K

-42.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 $60.3

$131 ₡58.7K

-53.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,440 $3,440

$927 ₡415.8K

271.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,222 $3,222

$774 ₡347.2K

316.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,089 $6,089

$1,288 ₡577.6K

372.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,511 $3,511

$2,274 ₡1.0M

54.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

8.62

-22.39%

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

Last update for Los Gatos, 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

Los Gatos, CA

$3.2K 65.7%

San Jose

$774 40% 76% $2.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Gatos, CA

$494 10.1%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 61.7% $305

Groceries & Markets

Los Gatos, CA

$473 9.6%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 15.2% $72

Eating Out

Los Gatos, CA

$403 8.2%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 43% $173

Sport & Entertainment

Los Gatos, CA

$181 3.7%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 51.4% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Los Gatos, CA

$102 2.1%

San Jose

$174 9% 70.7% $72

Getting Around

Los Gatos, CA

$29 * 0.6%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 184% $53

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,440 in Los Gatos, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Los Gatos, CA versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $473 vs $401 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Gatos, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

05:08 5:08 AM

06:08 6:08 AM

1 h ahead of Los Gatos, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,222

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

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Los Gatos, CA San Jose 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Los Gatos, CA costs about 153% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,355 per month in Los Gatos, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Los Gatos, CA and $61.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Los Gatos, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Los Gatos, CA at $4,903. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Los Gatos, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,938 versus $4,903 in Los Gatos, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Los Gatos, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.