Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sacramento, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $3,026 in Sacramento, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

149

Cost of Living Index in Sacramento, CA
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Sacramento, CA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Sacramento, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,026

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,026 per month in Sacramento, CA vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Sacramento, CA $3,026
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $4,529 per month in Sacramento, CA vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Sacramento, CA $4,529
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $6,031 per month in Sacramento, CA vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Sacramento, CA $6,031
San Jose $3,857

Sacramento, CA costs about 55% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sacramento, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Sacramento, CA by 126%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$12.22 ₡5,510

74.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.1 ₡27.1K

67.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$11.77 ₡5,305

4.93%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$4.30 ₡1,939

21.86%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$2.72 ₡1,226

4.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.84 ₡830

63.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.96 $7.96

$3.28 ₡1,480

142.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 $8.12

$4.36 ₡1,966

86.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$2.38 ₡1,074

-45.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.12 ₡1,408

29.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.41 ₡1,086

86.31%

Eggs

$5.84 $5.84

$3.47 ₡1,564

68.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 $15.05

$10.57 ₡4,767

42.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.15 $15.15

$10.56 ₡4,758

43.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 $18.60

$13.75 ₡6,196

35.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$5.04 ₡2,274

2.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.61 ₡727

26.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.59 ₡2,069

-5.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$3.84 ₡1,731

45.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.77 ₡1,700

0.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.76 ₡1,693

-14.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.12 ₡506

125.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.20 ₡1,441

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.81 $11.81

$5.84 ₡2,632

102.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 $13.74

$19.73 ₡8,897

-30.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.75 ₡1,240

-5.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.66 ₡1,650

-2.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.12 ₡503

127.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 $99.8

$65.1 ₡29.4K

53.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.46 ₡1,110

58.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.54 ₡692

20.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.27 $25.27

$8.46 ₡3,815

198.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.55 ₡699

0.65%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

71.51%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-21.54%

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

$231 $231

$94.7 ₡42.7K

143.49%

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

$58.8 $58.8

$35.11 ₡15.8K

67.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$58.6 ₡26.4K

19.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.81 $41.81

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-42.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.35 $41.35

$25.19 ₡11.4K

64.15%

Cinema Ticket

$16.79 $16.79

$7.83 ₡3,532

114.43%

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

$1,527 $1,527

$971 ₡437.9K

57.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

15.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 $60.0

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-16.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 $46.39

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-15.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 $94.3

$129 ₡58.2K

-26.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$133 ₡60.0K

-4.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 $2,075

$934 ₡420.9K

122.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 $1,567

$770 ₡347.2K

103.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,264 $3,264

$1,945 ₡876.7K

67.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 $2,614

$1,316 ₡593.5K

98.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,881 $4,881

$2,277 ₡1.0M

114.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,459 $3,459

$1,795 ₡809.1K

92.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,604 $4,604

$1,006 ₡453.5K

357.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

8.62

-23.55%

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

Last update for Sacramento, 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

Sacramento, CA

$1.6K 50.8%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 50.9% $797

Groceries & Markets

Sacramento, CA

$463 15%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 13.8% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sacramento, CA

$360 11.7%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 47.6% $171

Eating Out

Sacramento, CA

$350 11.3%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 34.8% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Sacramento, CA

$148 4.8%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 18.4% $27

Getting Around

Sacramento, CA

$123 4%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 35.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Sacramento, CA

$75 2.4%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 16.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,075 in Sacramento, 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 358% higher in Sacramento, 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 Sacramento, CA versus $60.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $463 vs $399 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sacramento, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

04:38 4:38 AM

05:38 5:38 AM

1 h ahead of Sacramento, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

524,943

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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 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

Sacramento, CA San Jose 4,890 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sacramento, 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

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

Yes – Sacramento, CA is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,539 per month in Sacramento, 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.

Public transport costs about 53% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,527 per month in Sacramento, CA and $971 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 $1,949, than in Sacramento, CA at $3,026. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sacramento, 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.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sacramento, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.