Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Bernardino, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,815 in San Bernardino, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in San Bernardino, CA
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San Bernardino, CA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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San Bernardino, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,815

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,815 per month in San Bernardino, CA vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

San Bernardino, CA $2,815
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $4,351 per month in San Bernardino, CA vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

San Bernardino, CA $4,351
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $5,888 per month in San Bernardino, CA vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

San Bernardino, CA $5,888
San Jose $3,857

San Bernardino, CA costs about 44% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Bernardino, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – San Bernardino, CA by 110%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.93 $19.93

$12.22 ₡5,510

63.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$60.1 ₡27.1K

26.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.81 $16.81

$11.77 ₡5,305

42.82%

Cappuccino

$5.95 $5.95

$4.30 ₡1,939

38.37%

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

$3.41 $3.41

$2.72 ₡1,226

25.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.84 ₡830

28.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.04 $7.04

$3.28 ₡1,480

114.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.68 $9.68

$4.36 ₡1,966

122.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.38 ₡1,074

-54.20%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$3.12 ₡1,408

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.41 ₡1,086

94.61%

Eggs

$4.75 $4.75

$3.47 ₡1,564

36.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 $13.00

$10.57 ₡4,767

22.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 $8.97

$10.56 ₡4,758

-15.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 $15.13

$13.75 ₡6,196

10.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$5.04 ₡2,274

-3.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.61 ₡727

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$4.59 ₡2,069

-13.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$3.84 ₡1,731

44.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.77 ₡1,700

0.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.76 ₡1,693

-40.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.12 ₡506

76.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$3.20 ₡1,441

-42.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.70 $11.70

$5.84 ₡2,632

100.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$19.73 ₡8,897

-25.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.75 ₡1,240

-21.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.66 ₡1,650

19.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.12 ₡503

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.3 $58.3

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-10.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.99 $9.99

$2.46 ₡1,110

306.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.55 ₡699

-5.16%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

70.55%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-27.22%

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

$221 $221

$94.7 ₡42.7K

133.78%

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

$67.6 $67.6

$35.11 ₡15.8K

92.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.4 $73.4

$58.6 ₡26.4K

25.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.32 $40.32

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-44.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 $15.23

$7.83 ₡3,532

94.51%

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

$1,171 $1,171

$971 ₡437.9K

20.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K $17.4K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

2.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 $62.3

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-12.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.93 $47.93

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-12.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$129 ₡58.2K

-18.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 $148

$133 ₡60.0K

10.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 $1,819

$934 ₡420.9K

94.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 $1,448

$770 ₡347.2K

87.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 $2,589

$1,945 ₡876.7K

33.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,754 $2,754

$1,316 ₡593.5K

109.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,645 $3,645

$2,277 ₡1.0M

60.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,609 $3,609

$1,795 ₡809.1K

101.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,444 $3,444

$1,006 ₡453.5K

242.38%

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 San Bernardino, CA: October 5, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Bernardino, CA

$1.4K 50.4%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 46.8% $677

Groceries & Markets

San Bernardino, CA

$393 13.7%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 1.5% $6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Bernardino, CA

$362 12.6%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 48% $174

Eating Out

San Bernardino, CA

$359 12.5%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 36.5% $131

Clothing & Footwear

San Bernardino, CA

$164 5.7%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 6.9% $11

Getting Around

San Bernardino, CA

$76 * 2.7%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 4.7% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

San Bernardino, CA

$71 2.5%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 24.1% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,819 in San Bernardino, 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 242% higher in San Bernardino, 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 San Bernardino, CA versus $60.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $393 in San Bernardino, CA vs $399 in San Jose – so San Bernardino, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Bernardino, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

21:57 9:57 PM

22:57 10:57 PM

1 h ahead of San Bernardino, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

220,000

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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Highest

Between locations

San Bernardino, CA San Jose 4,320 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Bernardino, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,815 in San Bernardino, CA, $1,949 in San Jose – roughly 44% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,222 per month in San Bernardino, 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in San Bernardino, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in San Bernardino, CA and $60.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in San Bernardino, CA at $2,815. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Bernardino, 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 $1,949 in San Jose to $2,815 in San Bernardino, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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