Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,562 in San Dimas, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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San Dimas, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,562

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,562 per month in San Dimas, CA vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

San Dimas, CA $2,562
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,689 per month in San Dimas, CA vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

San Dimas, CA $3,689
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $4,816 per month in San Dimas, CA vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

San Dimas, CA $4,816
San Jose $3,857

San Dimas, CA costs about 31% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Dimas, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – San Dimas, CA by 91%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.15 $12.15

$12.22 ₡5,510

-0.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 $50.7

$60.1 ₡27.1K

-15.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 $9.15

$11.77 ₡5,305

-22.26%

Cappuccino

$5.85 $5.85

$4.30 ₡1,939

36.05%

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

$3.42 $3.42

$2.72 ₡1,226

25.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.84 ₡830

29.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 $7.58

$3.28 ₡1,480

131.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.08 $8.08

$4.36 ₡1,966

85.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.38 ₡1,074

-56.30%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.12 ₡1,408

28.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$2.41 ₡1,086

101.24%

Eggs

$4.65 $4.65

$3.47 ₡1,564

34.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 $12.87

$10.57 ₡4,767

21.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.05 $20.05

$10.56 ₡4,758

89.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.40 $15.40

$13.75 ₡6,196

12.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$5.04 ₡2,274

-2.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.61 ₡727

3.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$4.59 ₡2,069

18.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.84 ₡1,731

53.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.77 ₡1,700

-1.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.76 ₡1,693

-38.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.12 ₡506

81.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$3.20 ₡1,441

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 $11.86

$5.84 ₡2,632

103.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.21 $15.21

$19.73 ₡8,897

-22.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.75 ₡1,240

-28.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.66 ₡1,650

16.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.12 ₡503

78.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 $6.21

$2.46 ₡1,110

152.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.54 ₡692

11.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.65 $33.65

$8.46 ₡3,815

297.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.55 ₡699

-1.94%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

68.56%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-21.28%

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

$170 $170

$94.7 ₡42.7K

79.82%

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

$66.2 $66.2

$35.11 ₡15.8K

88.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 $60.5

$58.6 ₡26.4K

3.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.71 $41.71

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-42.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$14.96 $14.96

$7.83 ₡3,532

91.06%

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

$1,917 $1,917

$971 ₡437.9K

97.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K $25.6K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

50.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-18.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 $39.64

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-27.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$129 ₡58.2K

-27.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$133 ₡60.0K

8.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,593 $1,593

$934 ₡420.9K

70.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 $1,470

$770 ₡347.2K

90.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,483 $2,483

$1,945 ₡876.7K

27.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,341 $2,341

$1,316 ₡593.5K

77.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,666 $2,666

$2,277 ₡1.0M

17.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 $2,437

$1,795 ₡809.1K

35.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,989 $3,989

$1,006 ₡453.5K

296.57%

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 Dimas, CA: October 3, 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 Dimas, CA

$1.5K 53.6%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 47.6% $699

Groceries & Markets

San Dimas, CA

$455 16.6%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 12.3% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Dimas, CA

$297 10.8%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 36.6% $109

Eating Out

San Dimas, CA

$272 9.9%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 16.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

San Dimas, CA

$151 5.5%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 15.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

San Dimas, CA

$72 2.6%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 22.6% $16

Getting Around

San Dimas, CA

$23 * 0.8%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 250% $57

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,593 in San Dimas, 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 297% higher in San Dimas, 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 $51.0 in San Dimas, CA versus $60.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $455 in San Dimas, CA vs $399 in San Jose – so San Jose wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Dimas, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

21:46 9:46 PM

22:46 10:46 PM

1 h ahead of San Dimas, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,714

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 Dimas, CA San Jose 4,360 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,562 in San Dimas, CA, $1,949 in San Jose – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,843 per month in San Dimas, 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 $51.0 in San Dimas, 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 14% more in San Dimas, 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 San Dimas, CA at $2,562. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Dimas, 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 $2,562 in San Dimas, 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, San Dimas, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.