Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Los Angeles, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $27,700 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
203

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,949 in San Jose versus $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA.

San Jose $1,949
Los Angeles, CA $4,259

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,903 in San Jose versus $6,260 in Los Angeles, CA.

San Jose $2,903
Los Angeles, CA $6,260

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,857 in San Jose versus $8,260 in Los Angeles, CA.

San Jose $3,857
Los Angeles, CA $8,260

Living in San Jose costs roughly 54% less than in Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 45% above, Los Angeles, CA 218% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$27.00 $27.00

-54.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$122 $122

-50.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$14.98 $14.98

-21.43%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$5.84 $5.84

-26.37%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$3.77 $3.77

-27.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$2.67 $2.67

-31.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$8.05 $8.05

-59.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$9.84 $9.84

-55.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$1.30 $1.30

83.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$4.84 $4.84

-35.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$4.48 $4.48

-46.21%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$6.14 $6.14

-43.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$11.32 $11.32

-6.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$15.78 $15.78

-33.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$19.94 $19.94

-31.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$5.24 $5.24

-3.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$2.33 $2.33

-30.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$4.69 $4.69

-2.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$5.65 $5.65

-32.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$3.28 $3.28

14.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$2.88 $2.88

30.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$2.10 $2.10

-46.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$2.44 $2.44

31.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$12.78 $12.78

-54.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$15.05 $15.05

31.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$2.96 $2.96

-7.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$2.81 $2.81

30.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.79 $1.79

-37.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

$104 $104

-37.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$3.08 $3.08

-20.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$1.88 $1.88

-18.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$31.58 $31.58

-73.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.62 $1.62

-4.32%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$37.7K $37.7K

-42.39%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$26.3K $26.3K

32.43%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$288 $288

-67.12%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$77.9 $77.9

-54.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$80.5 $80.5

-27.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$74.2 $74.2

-2.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

$11.90 $11.90

111.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$19.79 $19.79

-60.43%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$1,678 $1,678

-42.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$31.9K $31.9K

-46.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$91.3 $91.3

-21.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$65.7 $65.7

-16.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$121 $121

6.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$206 $206

-35.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$2,545 $2,545

-63.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$2,443 $2,443

-68.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$5,518 $5,518

-64.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$4,275 $4,275

-69.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$7,211 $7,211

-68.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$6,930 $6,930

-74.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$4,173 $4,173

-75.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.86

25.66%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8% 217% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Los Angeles, CA

$467 11.1% 17.1% $68

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$417 9.9% 82.7% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$446 10.6% 137% $258

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.2% 24.6% $43

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.7% 29.5% $26

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 2.9% 55% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $934 in San Jose and $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Angeles, CA pays 315% 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: $60.0 in San Jose vs $122 in Los Angeles, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $467 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

08:19 8:19 AM

07:19 7:19 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

4,030,904

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Los Angeles, CA 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 118% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 315% lower in Los Angeles, 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: $934 in San Jose versus $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Jose runs roughly 60% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $971 in San Jose versus $1,678 in Los Angeles, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,949 in San Jose versus $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.