Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Cambridge, Canada

Name: Cambridge
Address: Cambridge, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,529 in Cambridge, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cambridge outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
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Cambridge Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Cambridge

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Cambridge

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 Cambridge actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,529 in Cambridge.

San Jose $2,107
Cambridge $2,529

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $3,458 in Cambridge.

San Jose $3,081
Cambridge $3,458

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $4,386 in Cambridge.

San Jose $4,054
Cambridge $4,386

Living in San Jose costs roughly 17% less than in Cambridge, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Cambridge 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$17.65 CA$24.73

-29.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$56.4 CA$79.0

10.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$10.62 CA$14.89

10.26%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$3.42 CA$4.79

32.75%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$1.94 CA$2.72

41.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.28 CA$1.79

45.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$4.89 CA$6.85

-31.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$6.52 CA$9.14

-33.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$2.05 CA$2.87

15.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.42 CA$3.39

26.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$3.34 CA$4.68

-24.85%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.38 CA$4.74

4.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$11.59 CA$16.25

-9.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$11.56 CA$16.20

-8.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$14.53 CA$20.36

-4.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$4.01 CA$5.62

29.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.32 CA$1.86

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.11 CA$5.76

18.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$3.73 CA$5.23

2.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.63 CA$3.69

48.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$1.99 CA$2.79

88.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.09 CA$2.93

-46.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.37 CA$1.91

135.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$12.68 CA$17.78

-52.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$12.34 CA$17.30

60.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.62 CA$3.67

7.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$4.06 CA$5.69

-10.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.81 CA$3.94

-61.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$69.1 CA$96.8

-5.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.25 CA$4.56

-30.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.81 CA$2.53

-1.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$28.09 CA$39.37

-71.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.27 CA$1.78

18.11%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$26.7K CA$37.4K

25.46%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$21.0K CA$29.5K

101.17%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$151 CA$212

-38.44%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$42.55 CA$59.6

-15.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$51.3 CA$71.9

18.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$28.73 CA$40.28

139.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$10.39 CA$14.56

-26.18%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$399 CA$560

143.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$16.2K CA$22.7K

16.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$62.5 CA$87.6

13.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$32.98 CA$46.23

71.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$80.9 CA$113

59.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$108 CA$151

21.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,518 CA$2,128

-22.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,397 CA$1,958

-32.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,097 CA$2,940

-5.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,896 CA$2,657

-26.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$4,368 CA$6,123

-38.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$3,701 CA$5,188

-44.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,019 CA$4,232

-67.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.22

65.13%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Cambridge

$1.4K 55.2% 48.1% $453

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Cambridge

$353 14% 12.3% $49

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Cambridge

$264 10.5% 13.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Cambridge

$245 9.7% 29.1% $55

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Cambridge

$128 5.1% 26.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Cambridge

$50 2% 41.2% $35

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Cambridge

$93 3.7% 14.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,518 in Cambridge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $56 in Cambridge for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $353 per month, with Cambridge cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Cambridge

🕒 Local time

00:27 12:27 AM

01:27 1:27 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

138,479

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Cambridge 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Cambridge

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 Cambridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in San Jose. 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: $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,518 in Cambridge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cambridge pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Cambridge – a meal for two runs $56 versus $62 in San Jose. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,529 in Cambridge, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Cambridge on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.