Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Redlands, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $3,621 in Redlands, CA, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

176

Cost of Living Index in Redlands, CA
Learn more

Redlands, CA Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Redlands, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,621

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,621 per month in Redlands, CA vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Redlands, CA $3,621
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $5,009 per month in Redlands, CA vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Redlands, CA $5,009
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $6,397 per month in Redlands, CA vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Redlands, CA $6,397
San Jose $3,934

Redlands, CA costs about 87% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Redlands, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Redlands, CA by 168%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.97 $24.97

$12.38 ₡5,551

101.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 $76.4

$60.9 ₡27.3K

25.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.32 $16.32

$11.45 ₡5,135

42.53%

Cappuccino

$6.12 $6.12

$4.39 ₡1,967

39.41%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$2.70 ₡1,211

12.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.93 ₡864

24.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$3.20 ₡1,433

148.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.15 $10.15

$4.41 ₡1,979

130.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$2.44 ₡1,093

-44.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.74 $4.74

$3.05 ₡1,369

55.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$2.41 ₡1,081

96.68%

Eggs

$5.64 $5.64

$3.40 ₡1,523

65.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.40 $13.40

$10.75 ₡4,823

24.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.03 $11.03

$10.43 ₡4,679

5.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.78 $19.78

$13.99 ₡6,273

41.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$5.25 ₡2,353

-3.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.59 ₡712

52.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$4.69 ₡2,103

4.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.95 ₡1,770

37.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.92 ₡1,760

-12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.68 ₡1,651

-18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.12 ₡503

83.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.19 ₡1,429

-10.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$6.00 ₡2,692

94.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.92 $14.92

$19.56 ₡8,771

-23.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.82 ₡1,263

-14.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.59 ₡1,611

37.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.12 ₡503

80.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.71 $34.71

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-48.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.50 ₡1,119

24.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.63 ₡733

10.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.29 $32.29

$8.50 ₡3,812

279.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.56 ₡701

-3.85%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

62.01%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-26.96%

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

$277 $277

$95.2 ₡42.7K

191.30%

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

$80.9 $80.9

$35.58 ₡16.0K

127.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.8 $79.8

$58.6 ₡26.3K

36.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.19 $25.19

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-65.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$19.98 $19.98

$7.58 ₡3,401

163.59%

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

$1,188 $1,188

$1,001 ₡449.0K

18.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.1K $32.1K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

87.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 $62.5

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-11.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 $50.6

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-9.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$130 ₡58.2K

-18.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$131 ₡58.7K

-19.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,937 $1,937

$927 ₡415.8K

108.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 $2,059

$774 ₡347.2K

165.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,465 $3,465

$1,967 ₡882.0K

76.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,070 $3,070

$1,288 ₡577.6K

138.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,057 $4,057

$2,274 ₡1.0M

78.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,156 $4,156

$1,831 ₡821.0K

127.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,746 $4,746

$1,016 ₡455.8K

366.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

8.62

-20.42%

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

Last update for Redlands, 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

Redlands, CA

$2.1K 56.9%

San Jose

$774 40% 62.4% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Redlands, CA

$454 12.6%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 11.7% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Redlands, CA

$438 12.1%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 56.8% $249

Eating Out

Redlands, CA

$404 11.2%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 43.2% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Redlands, CA

$146 4%

San Jose

$174 9% 19.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Redlands, CA

$65 1.8%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 34.8% $23

Getting Around

Redlands, CA

$55 1.5%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 49.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,937 in Redlands, 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 367% higher in Redlands, 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 $76.0 in Redlands, CA versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $454 vs $401 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Redlands, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

14:05 2:05 PM

15:05 3:05 PM

1 h ahead of Redlands, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

68,747

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Redlands, CA San Jose 4,310 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Redlands, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,621 in Redlands, CA, $1,938 in San Jose – roughly 87% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,431 per month in Redlands, 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.

Public transport costs about 92% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,188 per month in Redlands, 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 Redlands, CA at $3,621. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Redlands, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,938 in San Jose to $3,621 in Redlands, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Redlands, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.