Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newport Beach, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $5,162 in Newport Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $38,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

251

Cost of Living Index in Newport Beach, CA
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Newport Beach, CA Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Newport Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$5,162

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $5,162 per month in Newport Beach, CA vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Newport Beach, CA $5,162
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $7,336 per month in Newport Beach, CA vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Newport Beach, CA $7,336
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in Newport Beach, CA vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Newport Beach, CA $9,509
San Jose $3,934

Newport Beach, CA costs about 166% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Newport Beach, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Newport Beach, CA by 282%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.34 $25.34

$12.38 ₡5,551

104.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.9 ₡27.3K

66.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.86 $14.86

$11.45 ₡5,135

29.78%

Cappuccino

$5.79 $5.79

$4.39 ₡1,967

31.89%

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)

$7.06 $7.06

$3.20 ₡1,433

120.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.44 $9.44

$4.41 ₡1,979

114.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.44 ₡1,093

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.74 $5.74

$3.05 ₡1,369

88.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.41 ₡1,081

75.10%

Eggs

$5.27 $5.27

$3.40 ₡1,523

55.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 $12.68

$10.75 ₡4,823

17.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 $9.04

$10.43 ₡4,679

-13.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$13.99 ₡6,273

1.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$5.25 ₡2,353

-8.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.59 ₡712

8.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$4.69 ₡2,103

-13.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.95 ₡1,770

37.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.92 ₡1,760

-6.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.68 ₡1,651

-16.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.12 ₡503

91.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.19 ₡1,429

-29.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.59 $11.59

$6.00 ₡2,692

93.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 $15.11

$19.56 ₡8,771

-22.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.82 ₡1,263

-37.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.59 ₡1,611

-13.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.50 ₡1,119

82.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.63 ₡733

13.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.59 $36.59

$8.50 ₡3,812

330.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.56 ₡701

-5.77%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

65.83%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-26.63%

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

$216 $216

$95.2 ₡42.7K

127.00%

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

$80.0 $80.0

$35.58 ₡16.0K

124.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$58.6 ₡26.3K

21.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$72.7 ₡32.6K

60.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.65 $27.65

$24.85 ₡11.1K

11.27%

Cinema Ticket

$20.16 $20.16

$7.58 ₡3,401

165.96%

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

$1,756 $1,756

$1,001 ₡449.0K

75.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K $36.2K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

111.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 $62.7

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-11.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.05 $41.05

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-26.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 $78.4

$130 ₡58.2K

-39.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$131 ₡58.7K

-21.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,355 $4,355

$927 ₡415.8K

369.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,694 $3,694

$774 ₡347.2K

377.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,177 $7,177

$1,967 ₡882.0K

264.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,170 $6,170

$1,288 ₡577.6K

379.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.0K $16.0K

$2,274 ₡1.0M

604.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.0K $16.0K

$1,831 ₡821.0K

772.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,204 $6,204

$1,016 ₡455.8K

510.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

8.62

-25.17%

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

Last update for Newport Beach, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newport Beach, CA

$3.7K 71.6%

San Jose

$774 40% 79% $2.9K

Groceries & Markets

Newport Beach, CA

$409 7.9%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 2% $8.3

Eating Out

Newport Beach, CA

$393 7.6%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 41.6% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newport Beach, CA

$367 7.1%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 48.4% $178

Sport & Entertainment

Newport Beach, CA

$157 3%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 43.9% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Newport Beach, CA

$128 2.5%

San Jose

$174 9% 36% $46

Getting Around

Newport Beach, CA

$14 * 0.3%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 494% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,355 in Newport Beach, 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.

Salaries run about 510% higher in Newport Beach, 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 $101 in Newport Beach, CA versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $401 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Newport Beach, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

04:21 4:21 AM

05:21 5:21 AM

1 h ahead of Newport Beach, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,186

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Newport Beach, CA San Jose 4,340 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Newport Beach, 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

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

Yes – Newport Beach, CA is pricier by about 166%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,743 per month in Newport Beach, 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $5,162 in Newport Beach, CA and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 166%.

Kindergarten costs $1,756 per month in Newport Beach, CA and $1,001 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Newport Beach, CA at $5,162. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Newport Beach, 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, Newport Beach, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.