Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $3,930 in Redondo Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $23,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

192

Cost of Living Index in Redondo Beach, CA
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Redondo Beach, CA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Redondo Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,930

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,930 per month in Redondo Beach, CA vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Redondo Beach, CA $3,930
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $5,708 per month in Redondo Beach, CA vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Redondo Beach, CA $5,708
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $7,486 per month in Redondo Beach, CA vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Redondo Beach, CA $7,486
San Jose $3,857

Redondo Beach, CA costs about 102% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Redondo Beach, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Redondo Beach, CA by 193%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 $24.70

$12.22 ₡5,510

102.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 $81.6

$60.1 ₡27.1K

35.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.75 $14.75

$11.77 ₡5,305

25.32%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$4.30 ₡1,939

34.19%

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

$3.58 $3.58

$2.72 ₡1,226

31.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.84 ₡830

33.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.57 $7.57

$3.28 ₡1,480

130.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.28 $9.28

$4.36 ₡1,966

112.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.38 ₡1,074

-52.52%

White Bread (500g)

$4.40 $4.40

$3.12 ₡1,408

41.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$2.41 ₡1,086

100.00%

Eggs

$5.70 $5.70

$3.47 ₡1,564

64.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 $15.85

$10.57 ₡4,767

49.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.84 $14.84

$10.56 ₡4,758

40.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 $18.59

$13.75 ₡6,196

35.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$5.04 ₡2,274

0.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.61 ₡727

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$4.59 ₡2,069

22.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$3.84 ₡1,731

51.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.77 ₡1,700

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 $2.41

$3.76 ₡1,693

-35.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.12 ₡506

92.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.20 ₡1,441

-10.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.73 $11.73

$5.84 ₡2,632

100.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$19.73 ₡8,897

-25.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.75 ₡1,240

-9.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.66 ₡1,650

12.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.12 ₡503

-8.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 $6.20

$2.46 ₡1,110

152.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.55 ₡699

-1.29%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

70.49%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-25.96%

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

$198 $198

$94.7 ₡42.7K

109.28%

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

$66.3 $66.3

$35.11 ₡15.8K

88.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 $59.7

$58.6 ₡26.4K

2.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 $98.8

$72.2 ₡32.5K

36.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$15.32 $15.32

$7.83 ₡3,532

95.66%

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

$1,165 $1,165

$971 ₡437.9K

19.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 $57.5

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-19.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.60 $39.60

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-27.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$129 ₡58.2K

-18.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$133 ₡60.0K

-21.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,123 $3,123

$934 ₡420.9K

234.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,440 $2,440

$770 ₡347.2K

216.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,040 $5,040

$1,945 ₡876.7K

159.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,265 $4,265

$1,316 ₡593.5K

223.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,485 $7,485

$2,277 ₡1.0M

228.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,329 $6,329

$1,795 ₡809.1K

252.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,813 $7,813

$1,006 ₡453.5K

676.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

8.62

-25.87%

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

Last update for Redondo Beach, CA: October 4, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Redondo Beach, CA

$2.4K 62.5%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 68.4% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Redondo Beach, CA

$472 12.1%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 15.4% $73

Eating Out

Redondo Beach, CA

$392 10%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 41.8% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Redondo Beach, CA

$324 8.3%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 41.9% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Redondo Beach, CA

$138 3.5%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 26.8% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Redondo Beach, CA

$129 3.3%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 32.2% $42

Getting Around

Redondo Beach, CA

$10 * 0.3%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 676% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,123 in Redondo Beach, CA versus $934 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 677% higher in Redondo 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 $82.0 in Redondo Beach, CA versus $60.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $472 vs $399 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Redondo Beach, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

19:52 7:52 PM

20:52 8:52 PM

1 h ahead of Redondo Beach, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,346

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Redondo Beach, CA San Jose 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Redondo 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,930 in Redondo Beach, CA, $1,949 in San Jose – roughly 102% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,895 per month in Redondo Beach, CA and $2,924 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Redondo Beach, CA and $60.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Redondo Beach, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Redondo Beach, CA at $3,930. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Redondo Beach, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Redondo Beach, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,949 in San Jose to $3,930 in Redondo Beach, 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, Redondo Beach, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.