Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Anaheim, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $3,745 in Anaheim, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
182

Cost of Living Index in Anaheim, CA
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Anaheim, CA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Anaheim, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,745

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $3,745 in Anaheim, CA, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Anaheim, CA $3,745

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $5,219 in Anaheim, CA, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Anaheim, CA $5,219

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $6,692 in Anaheim, CA, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Anaheim, CA $6,692

San Jose is about 49% cheaper than Anaheim, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Anaheim, CA sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Anaheim, CA by 176%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$25.04 $25.04

-50.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$77.6 $77.6

-19.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$16.69 $16.69

-30.92%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$5.82 $5.82

-25.26%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$3.01 $3.01

-12.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$2.31 $2.31

-19.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$7.23 $7.23

-54.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$9.38 $9.38

-51.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$1.20 $1.20

99.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$5.01 $5.01

-38.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$4.82 $4.82

-48.13%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$5.77 $5.77

-39.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$15.13 $15.13

-29.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$18.65 $18.65

-44.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$15.32 $15.32

-7.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$4.80 $4.80

4.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$2.54 $2.54

-37.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$3.96 $3.96

22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$5.66 $5.66

-30.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$3.63 $3.63

3.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.22 $2.22

68.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.09 $2.09

-48.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$1.90 $1.90

71.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$11.87 $11.87

-50.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$15.22 $15.22

33.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.00 $2.00

45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$4.10 $4.10

-9.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

$68.7 $68.7

-4.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$6.40 $6.40

-60.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$1.51 $1.51

4.64%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$28.6K $28.6K

17.38%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$27.0K $27.0K

54.21%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$165 $165

-43.23%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$66.1 $66.1

-46.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$72.7 $72.7

-17.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$78.9 $78.9

-7.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

$9.92 $9.92

160.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$18.32 $18.32

-57.75%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,193 $1,193

-15.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$57.6 $57.6

26.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$40.32 $40.32

37.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$107 $107

20.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$147 $147

-10.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$2,242 $2,242

-58.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$2,229 $2,229

-65.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$3,504 $3,504

-45.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$3,314 $3,314

-61.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$7,815 $7,815

-70.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$6,728 $6,728

-72.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$4,008 $4,008

-74.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.39

34.90%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Anaheim, CA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Anaheim, CA

$2.2K 59.5% 193% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Anaheim, CA

$468 12.5% 16% $64

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Anaheim, CA

$396 10.6% 73.2% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Anaheim, CA

$304 8.1% 60.7% $115

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Anaheim, CA

$158 4.2% 9.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Anaheim, CA

$116 3.1% 31.2% $27

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Anaheim, CA

$75 * 2% 6.7% $5.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $2,242 in Anaheim, CA. 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 290% higher in Anaheim, 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 $62.0 in San Jose versus $78.0 in Anaheim, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $468 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Anaheim, CA

🕒 Local time

17:09 5:09 PM

16:09 4:09 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

350,742

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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San Jose Anaheim, CA 4,350 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Anaheim, CA costs about 95% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $5,618 in Anaheim, CA. 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 16% more in Anaheim, 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 $62.0 in San Jose and $78.0 in Anaheim, CA. 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 $1,924, than in Anaheim, CA at $3,745. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Anaheim, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,924 versus $3,745 in Anaheim, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Anaheim, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.