Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Modesto, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,634 in Modesto, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Modesto, CA
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Modesto, CA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Modesto, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,634

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,634 per month in Modesto, CA vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Modesto, CA $2,634
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,994 per month in Modesto, CA vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Modesto, CA $3,994
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $5,354 per month in Modesto, CA vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Modesto, CA $5,354
San Jose $3,857

Modesto, CA costs about 35% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Modesto, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Modesto, CA by 97%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.85 $14.85

$12.22 ₡5,510

21.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$60.1 ₡27.1K

31.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.02 $9.02

$11.77 ₡5,305

-23.36%

Cappuccino

$5.56 $5.56

$4.30 ₡1,939

29.30%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$2.72 ₡1,226

-5.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.84 ₡830

-10.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.28 ₡1,480

52.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$4.36 ₡1,966

64.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$2.38 ₡1,074

-53.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.12 ₡1,408

13.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.41 ₡1,086

75.10%

Eggs

$5.55 $5.55

$3.47 ₡1,564

59.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 $13.00

$10.57 ₡4,767

22.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.57 $13.57

$10.56 ₡4,758

28.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.45 $19.45

$13.75 ₡6,196

41.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$5.04 ₡2,274

7.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.61 ₡727

19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$4.59 ₡2,069

16.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.84 ₡1,731

40.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.77 ₡1,700

-4.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.76 ₡1,693

-22.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.12 ₡506

117.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.20 ₡1,441

-23.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.69 $11.69

$5.84 ₡2,632

100.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$19.73 ₡8,897

-25.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.75 ₡1,240

-30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.66 ₡1,650

-10.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.12 ₡503

74.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.63 $40.63

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-37.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.46 ₡1,110

41.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.54 ₡692

97.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.63 $29.63

$8.46 ₡3,815

250.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.55 ₡699

-9.68%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

66.63%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-26.15%

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

$262 $262

$94.7 ₡42.7K

177.08%

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

$47.75 $47.75

$35.11 ₡15.8K

36.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$58.6 ₡26.4K

18.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.66 $41.66

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-42.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 $15.14

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-39.90%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 $10.81

$7.83 ₡3,532

38.06%

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

$1,792 $1,792

$971 ₡437.9K

84.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.5K $40.5K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

138.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.10 $48.10

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-32.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.40 $39.40

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-28.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 $94.5

$129 ₡58.2K

-26.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$133 ₡60.0K

-10.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 $1,425

$934 ₡420.9K

52.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 $1,293

$770 ₡347.2K

67.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,438 $2,438

$1,945 ₡876.7K

25.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,403 $2,403

$1,316 ₡593.5K

82.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,151 $3,151

$2,277 ₡1.0M

38.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,185 $3,185

$1,795 ₡809.1K

77.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,038 $4,038

$1,006 ₡453.5K

301.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

8.62

-29.23%

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

Last update for Modesto, CA: October 5, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Modesto, CA

$1.3K 48.9%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 40.4% $523

Groceries & Markets

Modesto, CA

$439 16.6%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 9.1% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Modesto, CA

$380 14.3%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 50.4% $191

Eating Out

Modesto, CA

$269 10.2%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 15.2% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Modesto, CA

$136 5.1%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 28.8% $39

Getting Around

Modesto, CA

$67 2.5%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 18.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Modesto, CA

$63 2.4%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 38.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,425 in Modesto, CA versus $934 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 301% higher in Modesto, 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 $79.0 in Modesto, CA versus $60.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $399 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Modesto, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

08:39 8:39 AM

1 h ahead of Modesto, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

211,266

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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Modesto, CA San Jose 4,800 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Modesto, 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

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

Modesto, CA costs about 35% 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 $3,952 per month in Modesto, CA and $2,924 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 $2,634 in Modesto, CA and $1,949 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 35%.

Public transport costs about 60% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Modesto, CA at $2,634. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Modesto, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,949 versus $2,634 in Modesto, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Modesto, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.