Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterey Park, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,866 in Monterey Park, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Monterey Park, CA
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Monterey Park, CA Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Monterey Park, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,866

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,866 in Monterey Park, CA versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Monterey Park, CA $2,866
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,218 in Monterey Park, CA versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Monterey Park, CA $4,218
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,570 in Monterey Park, CA versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Monterey Park, CA $5,570
San Jose $3,934

Living in Monterey Park, CA is roughly 48% 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: Monterey Park, CA 112% above, San Jose 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.69 $26.69

$12.38 ₡5,551

115.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 $80.4

$60.9 ₡27.3K

32.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 $15.07

$11.45 ₡5,135

31.62%

Cappuccino

$5.89 $5.89

$4.39 ₡1,967

34.17%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$2.70 ₡1,211

16.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.93 ₡864

43.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.17 $8.17

$3.20 ₡1,433

155.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.19 $10.19

$4.41 ₡1,979

131.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.44 ₡1,093

-45.49%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.05 ₡1,369

61.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$2.41 ₡1,081

90.87%

Eggs

$5.74 $5.74

$3.40 ₡1,523

68.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 $11.29

$10.75 ₡4,823

5.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.63 $8.63

$10.43 ₡4,679

-17.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 $19.40

$13.99 ₡6,273

38.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$5.25 ₡2,353

-11.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.59 ₡712

45.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$4.69 ₡2,103

-12.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$3.95 ₡1,770

41.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.92 ₡1,760

-13.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.68 ₡1,651

-20.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.12 ₡503

74.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.19 ₡1,429

-23.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$6.00 ₡2,692

92.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 $14.98

$19.56 ₡8,771

-23.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.82 ₡1,263

-10.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.59 ₡1,611

-24.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.12 ₡503

77.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.50 ₡1,119

23.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.63 ₡733

11.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.31 $32.31

$8.50 ₡3,812

280.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.56 ₡701

0.64%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

67.06%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-28.30%

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

$272 $272

$95.2 ₡42.7K

185.51%

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

$85.8 $85.8

$35.58 ₡16.0K

141.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.4 $81.4

$58.6 ₡26.3K

38.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.47 $47.47

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-34.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$19.40 $19.40

$7.58 ₡3,401

155.94%

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

$1,175 $1,175

$1,001 ₡449.0K

17.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K $31.7K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

84.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.8 $63.8

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-9.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 $55.6

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$130 ₡58.2K

-9.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$211 $211

$131 ₡58.7K

61.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 $1,565

$927 ₡415.8K

68.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 $1,283

$774 ₡347.2K

65.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 $2,549

$1,967 ₡882.0K

29.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 $2,171

$1,288 ₡577.6K

68.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,733 $2,733

$2,274 ₡1.0M

20.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,066 $2,066

$1,831 ₡821.0K

12.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 $1,575

$1,016 ₡455.8K

54.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

8.62

-26.80%

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

Last update for Monterey Park, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterey Park, CA

$1.3K 44.8%

San Jose

$774 40% 39.7% $509

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterey Park, CA

$439 15.3%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 56.9% $250

Groceries & Markets

Monterey Park, CA

$422 14.7%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 5% $21

Eating Out

Monterey Park, CA

$414 14.5%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 44.6% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Monterey Park, CA

$201 7%

San Jose

$174 9% 13.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Monterey Park, CA

$86 3%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 1.8% $1.6

Getting Around

Monterey Park, CA

$20 * 0.7%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 309% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,565 in Monterey Park, CA and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterey Park, CA pays 55% 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: $80.0 in Monterey Park, CA vs $61.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $422 vs $401 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monterey Park, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

16:32 4:32 PM

17:32 5:32 PM

1 h ahead of Monterey Park, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,269

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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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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Between locations

Monterey Park, CA San Jose 4,380 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Monterey Park, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 55% higher in Monterey Park, 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: $1,565 in Monterey Park, CA versus $927 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Monterey Park, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,866 per month in Monterey Park, CA versus $1,938 in San Jose – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,866 in Monterey Park, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Monterey Park, CA. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,938 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Monterey Park, CA and San Jose are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Monterey Park, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.