Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Indio, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Indio, CA: $1,082 a month against $1,924 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Indio, CA
Learn more

Indio, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Indio, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,082

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $1,082 in Indio, CA, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Indio, CA $1,082

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $1,700 in Indio, CA, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Indio, CA $1,700

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $2,318 in Indio, CA, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Indio, CA $2,318

San Jose costs about 78% more than Indio, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

San Jose sits 42% above the global median, while Indio, CA is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$20.38 $20.38

-39.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$49.55 $49.55

25.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$14.96 $14.96

-22.93%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$3.58 $3.58

21.51%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$1.28 $1.28

106.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$2.48 $2.48

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$2.47 $2.47

34.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$9.24 $9.24

-51.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$1.09 $1.09

119.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$4.01 $4.01

-23.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$4.81 $4.81

-48.02%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$4.67 $4.67

-25.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$7.70 $7.70

39.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$5.37 $5.37

92.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$10.98 $10.98

28.42%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$4.98 $4.98

1.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.71 $1.71

-7.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$5.46 $5.46

-11.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$5.86 $5.86

-32.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$3.70 $3.70

1.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.31 $2.31

61.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.02 $2.02

-46.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$1.92 $1.92

69.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$10.02 $10.02

-41.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$14.89 $14.89

36.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.90 $1.90

52.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$4.09 $4.09

-8.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$1.47 $1.47

-26.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$3.91 $3.91

-36.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$1.37 $1.37

15.33%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$28.9K $28.9K

16.41%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$27.2K $27.2K

53.29%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$168 $168

-44.42%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$67.7 $67.7

-47.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$58.7 $58.7

2.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$14.97 $14.97

-48.30%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,890 $1,890

-46.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$57.5 $57.5

27.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$39.63 $39.63

39.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$51.0 $51.0

151.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$70.5 $70.5

84.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$2,478 $2,478

-62.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$4,167 $4,167

-75.32%

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 18, 2026

Last update for Indio, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Indio, CA

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Indio, CA

$353 32.6% 12.6% $51

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Indio, CA

$297 27.4% 29.7% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Indio, CA

$295 27.3% 56% $106

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Indio, CA

$98 9.1% 43.5% $76

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Indio, CA

$30 * 2.8% 66% $58

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Indio, CA

$9.8 * 0.9% 87.8% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $2,478 in Indio, 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 305% higher in Indio, 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 $62.0 in San Jose versus $50.0 in Indio, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $353 – making Indio, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Indio, CA

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

17:08 5:08 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

89,137

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Indio, CA 4,210 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 78%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $1,623 in Indio, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in San Jose and $50.0 in Indio, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in San Jose, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Indio, CA, where all-in costs run around $1,082, than in San Jose at $1,924. In Indio, CA it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Indio, CA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Indio, 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.