Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Long Beach, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $3,185 in Long Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 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
155

Cost of Living Index in Long Beach, CA
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Long Beach, CA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Long Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,924 in San Jose versus $3,185 in Long Beach, CA.

San Jose $1,924
Long Beach, CA $3,185

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,926 in San Jose versus $4,857 in Long Beach, CA.

San Jose $2,926
Long Beach, CA $4,857

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,929 in San Jose versus $6,529 in Long Beach, CA.

San Jose $3,929
Long Beach, CA $6,529

Living in San Jose costs roughly 40% less than in Long Beach, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 42% above, Long Beach, CA 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$19.67 $19.67

-37.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$78.7 $78.7

-20.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$14.48 $14.48

-20.37%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$6.17 $6.17

-29.50%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$3.27 $3.27

-19.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$2.48 $2.48

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$7.46 $7.46

-55.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$9.70 $9.70

-53.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$1.05 $1.05

127.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$4.13 $4.13

-25.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$4.65 $4.65

-46.24%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$4.63 $4.63

-24.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$13.11 $13.11

-18.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$14.28 $14.28

-27.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$15.21 $15.21

-7.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$4.74 $4.74

6.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.67 $1.67

-4.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$4.80 $4.80

0.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$4.84 $4.84

-18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$3.46 $3.46

8.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.24 $2.24

66.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.04 $2.04

-47.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$1.83 $1.83

77.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$11.56 $11.56

-49.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$15.06 $15.06

34.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.93 $1.93

50.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$3.29 $3.29

13.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$1.76 $1.76

-38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

$68.9 $68.9

-5.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$2.92 $2.92

-14.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$2.08 $2.08

-21.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$28.25 $28.25

-69.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$1.54 $1.54

2.60%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$28.5K $28.5K

17.82%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$26.0K $26.0K

60.47%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$169 $169

-44.48%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$66.3 $66.3

-46.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$60.3 $60.3

-0.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$39.49 $39.49

83.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$14.84 $14.84

-47.84%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,912 $1,912

-47.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$36.2K $36.2K

-53.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$58.5 $58.5

24.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$40.11 $40.11

38.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$93.9 $93.9

36.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$142 $142

-8.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$2,057 $2,057

-54.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$1,813 $1,813

-58.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$3,672 $3,672

-47.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$3,462 $3,462

-63.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$7,440 $7,440

-69.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$6,677 $6,677

-72.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$4,419 $4,419

-76.72%

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 Long Beach, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Long Beach, CA

$1.8K 56.9% 139% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Long Beach, CA

$414 13% 2.6% $11

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Long Beach, CA

$355 11.1% 54.9% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Long Beach, CA

$295 9.3% 56.2% $106

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Long Beach, CA

$151 4.7% 13.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Long Beach, CA

$69 2.2% 21.5% $19

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Long Beach, CA

$89 2.8% 11% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $932 in San Jose and $2,057 in Long Beach, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Long Beach, CA pays 330% 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 $79.0 in Long Beach, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $414 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Long Beach, CA

🕒 Local time

18:23 6:23 PM

17:23 5:23 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

469,450

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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 Long Beach, CA 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

San Jose and Long Beach, CA differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,924 vs $3,185 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 330% lower in Long Beach, 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 $2,057 in Long Beach, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $79.0 in Long Beach, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,924 per month in San Jose versus $3,185 in Long Beach, CA – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,924 in San Jose versus $3,185 in Long Beach, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Long Beach, 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.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Long Beach, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.