Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Downey, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $3,035 in Downey, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Downey, CA
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Downey, CA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Downey, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,035

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in San Jose versus $3,035 in Downey, CA.

San Jose $1,938
Downey, CA $3,035

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,936 in San Jose versus $4,713 in Downey, CA.

San Jose $2,936
Downey, CA $4,713

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,934 in San Jose versus $6,391 in Downey, CA.

San Jose $3,934
Downey, CA $6,391

Living in San Jose costs roughly 36% less than in Downey, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 44% above, Downey, CA 125% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$24.83 $24.83

-50.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$80.2 $80.2

-24.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$15.21 $15.21

-24.72%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$5.66 $5.66

-22.44%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$3.16 $3.16

-14.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$2.34 $2.34

-17.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$7.38 $7.38

-56.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$9.36 $9.36

-52.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.12 $1.12

117.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$4.10 $4.10

-25.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$4.70 $4.70

-48.72%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$4.67 $4.67

-27.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$12.90 $12.90

-16.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$13.40 $13.40

-22.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$15.25 $15.25

-8.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$4.70 $4.70

11.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.65 $1.65

-3.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$4.13 $4.13

13.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$5.48 $5.48

-27.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$3.71 $3.71

5.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$3.08 $3.08

19.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.03 $2.03

-44.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$2.23 $2.23

43.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$11.68 $11.68

-48.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$14.98 $14.98

30.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$2.01 $2.01

40.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$4.20 $4.20

-14.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$6.34 $6.34

-60.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.47 $1.47

6.12%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$37.7K $37.7K

-40.57%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$25.7K $25.7K

38.35%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$170 $170

-44.08%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$66.6 $66.6

-46.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$72.3 $72.3

-18.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$34.92 $34.92

108.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$15.11 $15.11

-49.83%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$1,188 $1,188

-15.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$58.6 $58.6

20.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$45.89 $45.89

21.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$92.0 $92.0

41.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$144 $144

-9.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$1,946 $1,946

-52.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$1,693 $1,693

-54.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$3,725 $3,725

-47.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$3,383 $3,383

-61.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$5,755 $5,755

-60.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$5,766 $5,766

-68.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$4,178 $4,178

-75.68%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Downey, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Downey, CA

$1.7K 55.8% 119% $918

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Downey, CA

$419 13.8% 4.5% $18

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Downey, CA

$390 12.8% 70% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Downey, CA

$309 10.2% 63.2% $120

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Downey, CA

$153 5.1% 12% $21

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Downey, CA

$65 2.2% 25.8% $23

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Downey, CA

$6.3 * 0.2% 92.3% $76

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 $927 in San Jose and $1,946 in Downey, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Downey, CA pays 311% 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: $61.0 in San Jose vs $80.0 in Downey, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $419 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Downey, CA

🕒 Local time

14:21 2:21 PM

13:21 1:21 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

114,355

💱 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 = 0.889 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Downey, CA 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 311% lower in Downey, 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: $927 in San Jose versus $1,946 in Downey, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Downey, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,938 per month in San Jose versus $3,035 in Downey, CA – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $3,035 in Downey, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Downey, CA. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Jose is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Downey, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, San Jose and Downey, 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 57% less than in Downey, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.