Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterey, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $3,616 in Monterey, CA, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

173

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Monterey, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,616

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,616 per month in Monterey, CA vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Monterey, CA $3,616
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $5,349 per month in Monterey, CA vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Monterey, CA $5,349
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $7,082 per month in Monterey, CA vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Monterey, CA $7,082
San Jose $3,929

Monterey, CA costs about 88% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Monterey, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Monterey, CA by 167%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.27 $20.27

$12.29 ₡5,513

64.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 $78.6

$62.3 ₡27.9K

26.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$11.53 ₡5,171

4.94%

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$4.35 ₡1,953

20.00%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$2.64 ₡1,183

21.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.86 ₡836

-12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.32 ₡1,490

64.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.52 ₡2,026

34.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.39 ₡1,073

-30.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.08 ₡1,381

2.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.50 ₡1,119

5.20%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$3.48 ₡1,562

31.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.57 $9.57

$10.74 ₡4,815

-10.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.38 $13.38

$10.32 ₡4,629

29.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$14.10 ₡6,325

-56.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$5.03 ₡2,256

-27.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.59 ₡714

-24.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$4.84 ₡2,171

-33.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.96 ₡1,776

1.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.76 ₡1,684

-26.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.73 ₡1,674

-47.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.08 ₡485

61.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 $1.25

$3.25 ₡1,456

-61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.59 $11.59

$5.86 ₡2,627

97.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.31 $17.31

$20.28 ₡9,095

-14.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.90 ₡1,300

-5.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$3.73 ₡1,673

-50.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.08 ₡486

87.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 $52.9

$65.5 ₡29.4K

-19.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.50 ₡1,123

-36.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.63 ₡732

-41.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.04 $35.04

$8.71 ₡3,904

302.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.58 ₡709

-3.16%

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-14.03%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-38.11%

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

$238 $238

$93.7 ₡42.0K

154.22%

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

$75.1 $75.1

$35.42 ₡15.9K

112.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.7 $71.7

$60.0 ₡26.9K

19.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.1 $84.1

$72.6 ₡32.6K

15.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.63 $10.63

$25.83 ₡11.6K

-58.85%

Cinema Ticket

$12.75 $12.75

$7.74 ₡3,471

64.73%

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

$555 $555

$1,005 ₡450.9K

-44.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K $12.5K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-25.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.8 $76.8

$73.1 ₡32.8K

5.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$90.2 $90.2

$55.4 ₡24.9K

62.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 $129

$128 ₡57.5K

0.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$130 ₡58.5K

3.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 $2,490

$932 ₡418.0K

167.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 $2,205

$760 ₡340.8K

190.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,056 $4,056

$1,922 ₡862.0K

111.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,027 $4,027

$1,276 ₡572.1K

215.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,909 $7,909

$2,301 ₡1.0M

243.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,838 $5,838

$1,833 ₡821.9K

218.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,771 $4,771

$1,029 ₡461.3K

363.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

8.62

-23.20%

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

Last update for Monterey, 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

Monterey, CA

$2.2K 61%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 65.5% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterey, CA

$385 10.6%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 50.9% $196

Groceries & Markets

Monterey, CA

$335 9.3%

San Jose

$403 21% 20.2% $68

Eating Out

Monterey, CA

$320 8.8%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 28.4% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Monterey, CA

$194 5.4%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 10% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Monterey, CA

$110 3%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 19.6% $22

Getting Around

Monterey, CA

$67 1.9%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 19.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,490 in Monterey, 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 364% higher in Monterey, 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 Monterey, CA versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $335 in Monterey, CA vs $403 in San Jose – so Monterey, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monterey, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

13:46 1:46 PM

14:46 2:46 PM

1 h ahead of Monterey, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,803

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Monterey, CA San Jose 4,820 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterey, 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

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

Yes – Monterey, CA is pricier by about 88%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,424 per month in Monterey, 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 $3,616 in Monterey, CA and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 88%.

Public transport costs about 24% 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 $1,924, than in Monterey, CA at $3,616. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterey, 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, Monterey, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.