Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Dublin, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $3,813 in Dublin, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 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
186

Cost of Living Index in Dublin, CA
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Dublin, CA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Dublin, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,924 in San Jose versus $3,813 in Dublin, CA.

San Jose $1,924
Dublin, CA $3,813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,926 in San Jose versus $5,432 in Dublin, CA.

San Jose $2,926
Dublin, CA $5,432

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,929 in San Jose versus $7,050 in Dublin, CA.

San Jose $3,929
Dublin, CA $7,050

Living in San Jose costs roughly 50% less than in Dublin, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 42% above, Dublin, CA 181% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$20.80 $20.80

-40.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$65.0 $65.0

-4.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$11.14 $11.14

3.50%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$5.28 $5.28

-17.61%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.67 $2.67

-1.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$2.39 $2.39

-22.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$7.09 $7.09

-53.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$6.90 $6.90

-34.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$1.65 $1.65

44.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$4.43 $4.43

-30.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$4.07 $4.07

-38.57%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$5.86 $5.86

-40.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$6.65 $6.65

61.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$14.16 $14.16

-27.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$22.22 $22.22

-36.54%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$5.25 $5.25

-4.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$2.02 $2.02

-21.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$5.52 $5.52

-12.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$4.48 $4.48

-11.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$3.60 $3.60

4.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.15 $2.15

73.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.04 $2.04

-47.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$2.55 $2.55

27.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$11.57 $11.57

-49.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$15.73 $15.73

28.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.46 $2.46

17.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$3.31 $3.31

12.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$3.09 $3.09

-65.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

$89.7 $89.7

-27.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$3.56 $3.56

-29.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$3.03 $3.03

-46.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$30.19 $30.19

-71.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$1.41 $1.41

12.06%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$36.6K $36.6K

-8.14%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$26.1K $26.1K

59.36%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$124 $124

-24.40%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$48.57 $48.57

-27.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$81.6 $81.6

-26.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$34.51 $34.51

110.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

$34.94 $34.94

-26.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$15.11 $15.11

-48.78%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,797 $1,797

-44.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$39.0K $39.0K

-56.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$59.1 $59.1

23.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$52.0 $52.0

6.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$79.2 $79.2

61.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$119 $119

9.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$2,822 $2,822

-66.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$2,457 $2,457

-69.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$4,530 $4,530

-57.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$4,002 $4,002

-68.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$12.9K $12.9K

-82.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$10.8K $10.8K

-83.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$6,418 $6,418

-83.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.67

29.24%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Dublin, CA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Dublin, CA

$2.5K 64.4% 223% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Dublin, CA

$445 11.7% 10.4% $42

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Dublin, CA

$333 8.7% 45.3% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Dublin, CA

$254 6.7% 34.4% $65

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Dublin, CA

$139 3.7% 20% $35

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Dublin, CA

$65 1.7% 26.5% $23

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Dublin, CA

$121 3.2% 50.1% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $932 in San Jose and $2,822 in Dublin, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dublin, CA pays 524% 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: $62.0 in San Jose vs $65.0 in Dublin, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $445 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Dublin, CA

🕒 Local time

17:46 5:46 PM

16:46 4:46 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

49,328

💱 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 →

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Between locations

San Jose Dublin, CA 4,880 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 98% lower than in Dublin, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 524% lower in Dublin, 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: $932 in San Jose versus $2,822 in Dublin, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Dublin, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $65.0 in Dublin, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,924 in San Jose versus $3,813 in Dublin, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Dublin, CA. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,924 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Dublin, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.