Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Monterey Park, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,866 in Monterey Park, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Monterey Park, CA
Learn more

Monterey Park, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monterey Park, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,866 in Monterey Park, CA.

San Jose $1,938
Monterey Park, CA $2,866

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,936 in San Jose versus $4,218 in Monterey Park, CA.

San Jose $2,936
Monterey Park, CA $4,218

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,934 in San Jose versus $5,570 in Monterey Park, CA.

San Jose $3,934
Monterey Park, CA $5,570

Living in San Jose costs roughly 32% less than in Monterey Park, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 44% above, Monterey Park, CA 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$26.69 $26.69

-53.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$80.4 $80.4

-24.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$15.07 $15.07

-24.02%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$5.89 $5.89

-25.47%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$3.14 $3.14

-14.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$2.76 $2.76

-30.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$8.17 $8.17

-60.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$10.19 $10.19

-56.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.33 $1.33

83.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$4.94 $4.94

-38.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$4.60 $4.60

-47.61%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$5.74 $5.74

-40.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$11.29 $11.29

-4.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$8.63 $8.63

20.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$19.40 $19.40

-27.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$4.65 $4.65

12.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$2.32 $2.32

-31.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$4.12 $4.12

13.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$5.60 $5.60

-29.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$3.41 $3.41

14.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$2.93 $2.93

25.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.95 $1.95

-42.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$2.44 $2.44

30.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$11.56 $11.56

-48.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$14.98 $14.98

30.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$2.51 $2.51

12.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$2.71 $2.71

32.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.99 $1.99

-43.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$3.08 $3.08

-18.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.81 $1.81

-9.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$32.31 $32.31

-73.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.57 $1.57

-0.64%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$37.4K $37.4K

-40.14%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$25.5K $25.5K

39.48%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$272 $272

-64.97%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$85.8 $85.8

-58.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$81.4 $81.4

-27.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$47.47 $47.47

53.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$19.40 $19.40

-60.93%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$1,175 $1,175

-14.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$31.7K $31.7K

-45.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$63.8 $63.8

10.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$55.6 $55.6

0.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$117 $117

10.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$211 $211

-37.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$1,565 $1,565

-40.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$1,283 $1,283

-39.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$2,549 $2,549

-22.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$2,171 $2,171

-40.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$2,733 $2,733

-16.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$2,066 $2,066

-11.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$1,575 $1,575

-35.48%

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 Monterey Park, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Monterey Park, CA

$1.3K 44.8% 65.7% $509

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Monterey Park, CA

$422 14.7% 5.3% $21

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Monterey Park, CA

$414 14.5% 80.7% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Monterey Park, CA

$439 15.3% 132% $250

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Monterey Park, CA

$201 7% 15.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Monterey Park, CA

$86 3% 1.8% $1.6

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Monterey Park, CA

$20 * 0.7% 75.5% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in San Jose and $1,565 in Monterey Park, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterey Park, CA pays 55% 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: $61.0 in San Jose vs $80.0 in Monterey Park, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $422 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Monterey Park, CA

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

17:12 5:12 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

60,269

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Monterey Park, CA 4,380 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Monterey Park, 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 55% lower in Monterey Park, 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: $927 in San Jose versus $1,565 in Monterey Park, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Monterey Park, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,938 per month in San Jose versus $2,866 in Monterey Park, CA – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,866 in Monterey Park, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Monterey Park, 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 $1,938 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Jose and Monterey Park, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Monterey Park, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.