Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oxnard, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $3,186 in Oxnard, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Oxnard, CA
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Oxnard, CA Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Oxnard, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,186 in Oxnard, CA versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Oxnard, CA $3,186
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,226 in Oxnard, CA versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Oxnard, CA $4,226
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,265 in Oxnard, CA versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Oxnard, CA $5,265
San Jose $3,934

Living in Oxnard, CA is roughly 64% 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: Oxnard, CA 136% above, San Jose 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.32 $20.32

$12.38 ₡5,551

64.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 $65.1

$60.9 ₡27.3K

6.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 $11.71

$11.45 ₡5,135

2.27%

Cappuccino

$5.76 $5.76

$4.39 ₡1,967

31.21%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$2.70 ₡1,211

-0.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.93 ₡864

5.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$3.20 ₡1,433

152.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.48 $9.48

$4.41 ₡1,979

114.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$2.44 ₡1,093

-51.23%

White Bread (500g)

$5.71 $5.71

$3.05 ₡1,369

87.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.41 ₡1,081

78.42%

Eggs

$4.98 $4.98

$3.40 ₡1,523

46.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.34 $12.34

$10.75 ₡4,823

14.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.32 $20.32

$10.43 ₡4,679

94.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 $13.99

$13.99 ₡6,273

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$5.25 ₡2,353

-16.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.59 ₡712

11.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.69 ₡2,103

-11.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$3.95 ₡1,770

67.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.92 ₡1,760

-8.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.68 ₡1,651

-46.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.12 ₡503

113.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.19 ₡1,429

-31.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.00 ₡2,692

64.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$19.56 ₡8,771

-24.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.82 ₡1,263

-36.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.59 ₡1,611

-9.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.12 ₡503

32.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.50 ₡1,119

75.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.63 ₡733

11.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.90 $35.90

$8.50 ₡3,812

322.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.56 ₡701

-17.31%

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

$37.6K $37.6K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

67.80%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-27.81%

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

$129 $129

$95.2 ₡42.7K

35.24%

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

$53.2 $53.2

$35.58 ₡16.0K

49.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$58.6 ₡26.3K

18.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 $61.6

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-15.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$11.77 $11.77

$7.58 ₡3,401

55.28%

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

$1,187 $1,187

$1,001 ₡449.0K

18.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.6K $42.6K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

148.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.90 $37.90

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-46.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.18 $41.18

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-26.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 $59.1

$130 ₡58.2K

-54.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 $81.0

$131 ₡58.7K

-38.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,995 $1,995

$927 ₡415.8K

115.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 $1,922

$774 ₡347.2K

148.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,359 $3,359

$1,967 ₡882.0K

70.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,288 ₡577.6K

89.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,838 $5,838

$2,274 ₡1.0M

156.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,922 $5,922

$1,831 ₡821.0K

223.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,379 $3,379

$1,016 ₡455.8K

232.44%

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 Oxnard, 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

Oxnard, CA

$1.9K 60.3%

San Jose

$774 40% 59.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Oxnard, CA

$465 14.6%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 13.7% $64

Eating Out

Oxnard, CA

$345 10.8%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 33.5% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oxnard, CA

$251 7.9%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 24.6% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Oxnard, CA

$99 3.1%

San Jose

$174 9% 76.5% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Oxnard, CA

$85 2.7%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 3.2% $2.7

Getting Around

Oxnard, CA

$19 * 0.6%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 323% $63

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 $1,995 in Oxnard, CA and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oxnard, CA pays 232% 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: $65.0 in Oxnard, CA vs $61.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $465 vs $401 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oxnard, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

18:27 6:27 PM

19:27 7:27 PM

1 h ahead of Oxnard, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

207,254

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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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Between locations

Oxnard, CA San Jose 4,470 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Oxnard, 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

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

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 232% higher in Oxnard, 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: $1,995 in Oxnard, 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 16% higher in Oxnard, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,186 per month in Oxnard, CA versus $1,938 in San Jose – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $3,186 in Oxnard, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Oxnard, CA. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Jose is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Oxnard, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Oxnard, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.