Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Garden Grove, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Garden Grove, CA: $1,412 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Jose outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Garden Grove, CA
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Garden Grove, CA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Garden Grove, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,412

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $1,412 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Garden Grove, CA $1,412

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $2,264 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Garden Grove, CA $2,264

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $3,115 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Garden Grove, CA $3,115

San Jose costs about 37% more than Garden Grove, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Garden Grove, CA sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, Garden Grove, CA by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$25.44 $25.44

-51.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$77.4 $77.4

-21.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$11.44 $11.44

0.09%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$5.61 $5.61

-21.75%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$2.73 $2.73

-1.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$1.95 $1.95

-1.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$7.42 $7.42

-56.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$9.42 $9.42

-53.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.16 $1.16

110.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$5.30 $5.30

-42.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$4.37 $4.37

-44.85%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$5.03 $5.03

-32.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$12.53 $12.53

-14.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$8.63 $8.63

20.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$14.19 $14.19

-1.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$4.70 $4.70

11.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.71 $1.71

-7.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$4.00 $4.00

17.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$5.77 $5.77

-31.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$3.65 $3.65

7.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$3.02 $3.02

21.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.15 $2.15

-47.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$2.23 $2.23

43.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$11.48 $11.48

-47.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$14.94 $14.94

30.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.71 $1.71

64.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$3.08 $3.08

16.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$5.02 $5.02

-77.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$68.6 $68.6

-2.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$4.47 $4.47

-44.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.89 $1.89

-13.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$36.49 $36.49

-76.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.53 $1.53

1.96%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$36.4K $36.4K

-38.51%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$26.0K $26.0K

36.85%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$216 $216

-55.85%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$70.3 $70.3

-49.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$68.8 $68.8

-14.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$14.85 $14.85

389.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$20.03 $20.03

24.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$15.09 $15.09

-49.77%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$1,189 $1,189

-15.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$42.3K $42.3K

-59.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$61.7 $61.7

14.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$40.80 $40.80

36.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$81.5 $81.5

59.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$102 $102

28.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$2,206 $2,206

-57.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$3,518 $3,518

-44.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$4,702 $4,702

-78.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.31

36.61%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Garden Grove, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Garden Grove, CA

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Garden Grove, CA

$401 28.4% 0% $0.1

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Garden Grove, CA

$380 26.9% 65.7% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Garden Grove, CA

$355 25.1% 87.3% $165

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Garden Grove, CA

$129 9.1% 26.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Garden Grove, CA

$45 3.2% 48.7% $43

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Garden Grove, CA

$103 7.3% 25.2% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $2,206 in Garden Grove, 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 363% higher in Garden Grove, CA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose versus $77.0 in Garden Grove, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $401 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Garden Grove, CA

🕒 Local time

11:45 11:45 AM

10:45 10:45 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

170,883

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

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

San Jose costs about 37% more than Garden Grove, CA, 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 $2,907 per month in San Jose and $2,118 in Garden Grove, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Garden Grove, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,938 in San Jose and $1,412 in Garden Grove, CA. That's a gap of about 37%.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Garden Grove, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Garden Grove, CA, where all-in costs run around $1,412, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Garden Grove, CA it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Garden Grove, CA costs $1,412 versus $1,938 in San Jose. 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 Garden Grove, CA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.