Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Cathedral City, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,593 in Cathedral City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cathedral City, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Cathedral City, CA
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Cathedral City, CA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Cathedral City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,593 in Cathedral City, CA.

San Jose $1,924
Cathedral City, CA $2,593

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,926 in San Jose versus $3,761 in Cathedral City, CA.

San Jose $2,926
Cathedral City, CA $3,761

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,929 in San Jose versus $4,929 in Cathedral City, CA.

San Jose $3,929
Cathedral City, CA $4,929

Living in San Jose costs roughly 26% less than in Cathedral City, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 42% above, Cathedral City, CA 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$18.94 $18.94

-35.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$74.2 $74.2

-16.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$11.12 $11.12

3.69%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$4.94 $4.94

-11.94%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.62 $2.62

0.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$1.95 $1.95

-4.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$6.02 $6.02

-44.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$7.09 $7.09

-36.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$1.01 $1.01

136.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$3.43 $3.43

-10.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$4.41 $4.41

-43.31%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$4.12 $4.12

-15.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$12.05 $12.05

-10.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$11.62 $11.62

-11.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$15.70 $15.70

-10.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$5.01 $5.01

0.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.63 $1.63

-2.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$4.13 $4.13

17.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$4.57 $4.57

-13.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$2.79 $2.79

34.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.75 $2.75

35.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.03 $2.03

-46.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$2.18 $2.18

49.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$9.33 $9.33

-37.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$13.89 $13.89

46.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.83 $1.83

58.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$3.33 $3.33

12.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$1.98 $1.98

-45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$3.42 $3.42

-26.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.58 $1.58

3.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$29.37 $29.37

-70.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$0.89 $0.89

77.53%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$29.3K $29.3K

14.51%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$25.1K $25.1K

65.87%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$186 $186

-49.72%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$53.1 $53.1

-33.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$68.3 $68.3

-12.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$42.44 $42.44

71.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$13.60 $13.60

-43.09%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,315 $1,315

-23.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$23.3K $23.3K

-27.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$50.4 $50.4

44.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$39.39 $39.39

40.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$85.8 $85.8

49.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$113 $113

15.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$1,592 $1,592

-41.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$1,374 $1,374

-44.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$2,622 $2,622

-26.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$2,223 $2,223

-42.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$2,814 $2,814

-18.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$2,417 $2,417

-24.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.51

32.41%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Cathedral City, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Cathedral City, CA

$1.4K 53% 80.8% $614

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Cathedral City, CA

$386 14.9% 4.3% $17

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Cathedral City, CA

$307 11.8% 34% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Cathedral City, CA

$308 11.9% 62.7% $119

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Cathedral City, CA

$130 5% 25.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Cathedral City, CA

$70 2.7% 20.9% $18

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Cathedral City, CA

$19 * 0.7% 76.1% $61

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $932 in San Jose and $1,592 in Cathedral City, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in San Jose vs $74.0 in Cathedral City, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $386, with Cathedral City, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Cathedral City, CA

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

12:37 12:37 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

51,493

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Cathedral City, CA 4,230 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Cathedral City, 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 Cathedral City, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose and Cathedral City, CA differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,924 vs $2,593 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,886 in San Jose and $3,889 in Cathedral City, CA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $932 in San Jose versus $1,592 in Cathedral City, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,005 in San Jose versus $1,315 in Cathedral City, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $74.0 in Cathedral City, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,593 in Cathedral City, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Cathedral City, CA. 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.

Safety-wise, San Jose and Cathedral City, 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 gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Cathedral City, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.