Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $4,319 in San Francisco, CA, rent and utilities included – about $28,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,319

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,319 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $4,319
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $6,503 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $6,503
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $8,686 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $8,686
San Jose $3,857

San Francisco, CA costs about 122% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Francisco, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – San Francisco, CA by 222%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.68 $26.68

$12.22 ₡5,510

118.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$60.1 ₡27.1K

99.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.77 $14.77

$11.77 ₡5,305

25.49%

Cappuccino

$6.03 $6.03

$4.30 ₡1,939

40.23%

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

$3.24 $3.24

$2.72 ₡1,226

19.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.84 ₡830

44.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$3.28 ₡1,480

148.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.26 $9.26

$4.36 ₡1,966

112.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.38 ₡1,074

-27.31%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.12 ₡1,408

69.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.41 ₡1,086

97.10%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$3.47 ₡1,564

44.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.16 $16.16

$10.57 ₡4,767

52.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.66 $15.66

$10.56 ₡4,758

48.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.18 $22.18

$13.75 ₡6,196

61.31%

Apples (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$5.04 ₡2,274

21.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.61 ₡727

77.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$4.59 ₡2,069

-6.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.97 $6.97

$3.84 ₡1,731

81.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.77 ₡1,700

-22.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.76 ₡1,693

-4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.12 ₡506

159.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.20 ₡1,441

-14.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$5.84 ₡2,632

108.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$19.73 ₡8,897

-25.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.75 ₡1,240

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.66 ₡1,650

-0.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.12 ₡503

164.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.4 $93.4

$65.1 ₡29.4K

43.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.46 ₡1,110

67.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.54 ₡692

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.24 $38.24

$8.46 ₡3,815

352.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.55 ₡699

0.65%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

70.72%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-25.65%

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

$213 $213

$94.7 ₡42.7K

124.73%

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

$60.9 $60.9

$35.11 ₡15.8K

73.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.0 $75.0

$58.6 ₡26.4K

28.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$72.2 ₡32.5K

65.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-20.05%

Cinema Ticket

$18.28 $18.28

$7.83 ₡3,532

133.46%

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

$2,918 $2,918

$971 ₡437.9K

200.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.2K $42.2K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

147.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 $77.5

$71.6 ₡32.3K

8.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.59 $47.59

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-13.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$129 ₡58.2K

-22.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$133 ₡60.0K

4.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,807 $3,807

$934 ₡420.9K

307.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$770 ₡347.2K

234.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,674 $5,674

$1,945 ₡876.7K

191.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,552 $4,552

$1,316 ₡593.5K

245.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,816 $9,816

$2,277 ₡1.0M

331.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,795 ₡809.1K

324.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,881 $6,881

$1,006 ₡453.5K

583.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

8.62

-21.58%

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

Last update for San Francisco, 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 Francisco, CA

$2.6K 60%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 70.1% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

San Francisco, CA

$516 12%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 22.7% $117

Eating Out

San Francisco, CA

$413 9.6%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 44.8% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Francisco, CA

$349 8.1%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 46% $160

Clothing & Footwear

San Francisco, CA

$164 3.8%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 6.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

San Francisco, CA

$156 3.6%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 43.7% $68

Getting Around

San Francisco, CA

$119 2.8%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 33.1% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,807 in San Francisco, 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 584% higher in San Francisco, 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 $120 in San Francisco, CA versus $60.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $516 vs $399 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

04:54 4:54 AM

05:54 5:54 AM

1 h ahead of San Francisco, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

873,965

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

San Francisco, CA San Jose 4,920 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – San Francisco, CA is pricier by about 122%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,479 per month in San Francisco, 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.

Groceries cost about 29% more in San Francisco, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in San Francisco, 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 Francisco, CA at $4,319. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Francisco, 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, San Francisco, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.