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

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: San Jose, CA is 1% more expensive than Oakland, CA without rent, and 28.3% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ™‚ Family of 3: San Jose, CA is 4.2% cheaper than Oakland, CA without rent, and 8.8% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
San Jose, CA
Oakland, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.48 $20.48
$30.10 $30.10
-31.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$101 $101
$146 $146
-30.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.66 $11.66
$14.65 $14.65
-20.41%
Cappuccino
$5.85 $5.85
$4.97 $4.97
17.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 $3.20
$2.54 $2.54
25.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 $2.48
$2.25 $2.25
10.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.82 $8.82
$7.89 $7.89
11.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.94 $10.94
$8.20 $8.20
33.41%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
San Jose, CA
Oakland, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 $1.41
$1.46 $1.46
-3.42%
White Bread (500g)
$5.01 $5.01
$5.18 $5.18
-3.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.31 $3.31
$6.27 $6.27
-47.21%
Eggs
$4.80 $4.80
$6.67 $6.67
-28.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.28 $21.28
$20.68 $20.68
2.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.69 $15.69
$14.66 $14.66
7.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.51 $22.51
$17.15 $17.15
31.25%
Apples (1kg)
$6.06 $6.06
$7.99 $7.99
-24.16%
Banana (1kg)
$2.56 $2.56
$2.16 $2.16
18.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.00 $5.00
$6.47 $6.47
-22.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.44 $6.44
$6.02 $6.02
6.98%
Potato (1kg)
$3.43 $3.43
$4.43 $4.43
-22.57%
Onion (1kg)
$4.47 $4.47
$3.34 $3.34
33.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.96 $2.96
$2.13 $2.13
38.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 $2.90
$2.95 $2.95
-1.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.06 $11.06
$10.95 $10.95
1.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.84 $14.84
$12.23 $12.23
21.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.32 $2.32
$1.71 $1.71
35.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.47 $3.47
$3.93 $3.93
-11.70%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
San Jose, CA
Oakland, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.52 $2.52
$3.14 $3.14
-19.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$91.1 $91.1
$86.6 $86.6
5.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.53 $3.53
$3.54 $3.54
-0.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.84 $1.84
$2.39 $2.39
-23.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.59 $30.59
$40.65 $40.65
-24.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 $1.27
$1.30 $1.30
-2.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.4K $29.4K
$23.8K $23.8K
23.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K $26.7K
$25.5K $25.5K
4.91%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose, CA
Oakland, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$294 $294
$278 $278
5.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$48.63 $48.63
$53.1 $53.1
-8.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.1 $69.1
$71.2 $71.2
-3.06%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
San Jose, CA
Oakland, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$125 $125
$53.5 $53.5
133.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$30.46 $30.46
$13.25 $13.25
129.89%
Cinema Ticket
$15.63 $15.63
$14.51 $14.51
7.72%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
San Jose, CA
Oakland, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,978 $1,978
$2,731 $2,731
-27.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.5K $26.5K
$37.9K $37.9K
-30.18%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
San Jose, CA
Oakland, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.0 $53.0
$62.3 $62.3
-14.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.59 $43.59
$61.9 $61.9
-29.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.0 $89.0
$92.3 $92.3
-3.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$138 $138
$123 $123
12.26%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
San Jose, CA
Oakland, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,055 $3,055
$1,990 $1,990
53.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,711 $2,711
$1,691 $1,691
60.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,223 $5,223
$4,414 $4,414
18.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,634 $4,634
$3,596 $3,596
28.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,163 $9,163
$7,838 $7,838
16.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$9,844 $9,844
$5,817 $5,817
69.24%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
San Jose, CA
Oakland, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,685 $5,685
$5,209 $5,209
9.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.51
6.55
-0.61%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for San Jose, CA: March 1, 2026

Last update for Oakland, CA: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Similar cities