Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose, CA: $4,378 a month against $4,929 in San Rafael, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

Cost of Living Index in San Jose, CA
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San Jose, CA Living Index
238

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael, CA
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San Rafael, CA Living Index

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San Jose, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,378

/mo nomad

San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose, CA and in San Rafael, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Jose, CA and in San Rafael, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,378 in San Jose, CA versus $4,929 in San Rafael, CA.

San Jose, CA $4,378
San Rafael, CA $4,929

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,147 in San Jose, CA versus $6,391 in San Rafael, CA.

San Jose, CA $6,147
San Rafael, CA $6,391

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,916 in San Jose, CA versus $7,853 in San Rafael, CA.

San Jose, CA $7,916
San Rafael, CA $7,853

Living in San Jose, CA costs roughly 11% less than in San Rafael, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose, CA 224% above, San Rafael, CA 265% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.37 $22.37

$24.68 $24.68

-9.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.9 $99.9

$120 $120

-16.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$12.05 $12.05

-0.83%

Cappuccino

$5.95 $5.95

$4.74 $4.74

25.53%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$3.03 $3.03

6.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.93 $2.93

-20.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 $9.08

$5.38 $5.38

68.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.83 $9.83

$6.98 $6.98

40.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.42 $1.42

16.90%

White Bread (500g)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.51 $4.51

0.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$9.69 $9.69

-58.62%

Eggs

$5.89 $5.89

$5.42 $5.42

8.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.91 $19.91

$23.21 $23.21

-14.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.27 $14.27

$15.45 $15.45

-7.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.06 $22.06

$18.15 $18.15

21.54%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$7.63 $7.63

-32.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.93 $2.93

-34.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$6.29 $6.29

-10.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$8.58 $8.58

-34.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$5.89 $5.89

-38.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$5.44 $5.44

-47.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.07 $3.07

-19.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.89 $3.89

-36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.73 $11.73

$10.85 $10.85

8.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 $15.70

$12.96 $12.96

21.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.23 $2.23

9.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.99 $2.99

13.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.05 $2.05

19.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 $89.3

$65.7 $65.7

36.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$4.10 $4.10

-14.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.97 $2.97

$4.44 $4.44

-33.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.48 $30.48

$28.84 $28.84

5.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.44 $1.44

4.86%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$32.0K $32.0K

13.29%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$26.4K $26.4K

-3.66%

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

$273 $273

$253 $253

7.74%

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

$47.11 $47.11

$85.4 $85.4

-44.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.3 $84.3

$61.3 $61.3

37.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$142 $142

$124 $124

14.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.45 $24.45

$30.21 $30.21

-19.07%

Cinema Ticket

$16.89 $16.89

$13.14 $13.14

28.54%

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

$1,829 $1,829

$2,088 $2,088

-12.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.2K $39.2K

$25.1K $25.1K

56.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 $59.3

$59.7 $59.7

-0.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$42.92 $42.92

17.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 $98.7

$96.8 $96.8

1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$126 $126

-3.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,133 $3,133

$3,074 $3,074

1.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 $2,665

$3,202 $3,202

-16.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,768 $4,768

$4,278 $4,278

11.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,128 $4,128

$3,860 $3,860

6.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,009 $9,009

$7,456 $7,456

20.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,111 $9,111

$5,281 $5,281

72.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,253 $6,253

$7,077 $7,077

-11.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.62

0.76%

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

Last update for San Jose, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for San Rafael, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose, CA

$2.7K 60.9%

San Rafael, CA

$3.2K 65% 20.2% $537

Groceries & Markets

San Jose, CA

$493 11.3%

San Rafael, CA

$575 11.7% 16.7% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose, CA

$404 9.2%

San Rafael, CA

$400 8.1% 1.1% $4.3

Eating Out

San Jose, CA

$374 8.5%

San Rafael, CA

$355 7.2% 4.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose, CA

$176 4%

San Rafael, CA

$150 3% 14.7% $26

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose, CA

$148 3.4%

San Rafael, CA

$147 3% 1.2% $1.8

Getting Around

San Jose, CA

$117 2.7%

San Rafael, CA

$100 2% 14.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,133 in San Jose, CA and $3,074 in San Rafael, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Rafael, CA pays 13% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $100 in San Jose, CA vs $120 in San Rafael, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $493 vs $575 per month, with San Jose, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Jose, CA

🇺🇸 San Rafael, CA

🕒 Local time

10:55 10:55 AM

Same time as San Jose, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,035,317

58,704

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose, CA San Rafael, CA 91 km

From you

San Jose, CA
San Rafael, CA

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

San Jose, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in San Rafael, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in San Rafael, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,133 in San Jose, CA versus $3,074 in San Rafael, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Jose, CA runs roughly 36% less than in San Rafael, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,829 in San Jose, CA versus $2,088 in San Rafael, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. San Jose, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose, CA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $4,378 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose, CA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Jose, CA and San Rafael, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Jose, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in San Rafael, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.