Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Pomona, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,738 in Pomona, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Pomona, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Pomona, CA
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Pomona, CA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Pomona, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,738 in Pomona, CA.

San Jose $1,938
Pomona, CA $2,738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,936 in San Jose versus $4,227 in Pomona, CA.

San Jose $2,936
Pomona, CA $4,227

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,934 in San Jose versus $5,717 in Pomona, CA.

San Jose $3,934
Pomona, CA $5,717

Living in San Jose costs roughly 29% less than in Pomona, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 44% above, Pomona, CA 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$27.14 $27.14

-54.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$74.5 $74.5

-18.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$9.91 $9.91

15.54%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$5.57 $5.57

-21.18%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$1.72 $1.72

56.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$1.22 $1.22

58.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$5.07 $5.07

-36.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$5.71 $5.71

-22.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.34 $1.34

82.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$3.99 $3.99

-23.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$2.87 $2.87

-16.03%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$3.08 $3.08

10.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$13.92 $13.92

-22.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$13.26 $13.26

-21.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$12.37 $12.37

13.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$3.40 $3.40

54.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.34 $1.34

18.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$2.25 $2.25

108.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$2.13 $2.13

85.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$1.78 $1.78

120.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$1.73 $1.73

112.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.17 $1.17

-4.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.70 $1.70

87.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$11.11 $11.11

-45.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$13.42 $13.42

45.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.60 $1.60

76.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$2.69 $2.69

33.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.33 $2.33

-51.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$18.89 $18.89

253.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$3.40 $3.40

-26.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.84 $1.84

-11.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$23.63 $23.63

-64.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.37 $1.37

13.87%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$29.8K $29.8K

-24.72%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$25.5K $25.5K

39.63%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$243 $243

-60.78%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$59.8 $59.8

-40.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$48.83 $48.83

20.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$20.04 $20.04

262.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$40.69 $40.69

-38.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$11.91 $11.91

-36.36%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$544 $544

84.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$8,403 $8,403

103.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$30.96 $30.96

127.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$34.25 $34.25

62.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$71.8 $71.8

80.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$90.9 $90.9

43.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$1,925 $1,925

-51.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$1,496 $1,496

-48.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$3,439 $3,439

-42.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$2,959 $2,959

-56.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$19.1K $19.1K

-88.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$4,544 $4,544

-59.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$3,693 $3,693

-72.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.5

32.62%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Pomona, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Pomona, CA

$1.5K 54.6% 93.2% $721

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Pomona, CA

$341 12.5% 14.9% $60

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Pomona, CA

$362 13.2% 58% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Pomona, CA

$351 12.8% 85.5% $162

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Pomona, CA

$103 3.8% 41.1% $72

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Pomona, CA

$44 1.6% 50.1% $44

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Pomona, CA

$41 1.5% 50.2% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in San Jose and $1,925 in Pomona, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pomona, CA pays 263% 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 $75.0 in Pomona, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $341, with Pomona, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Pomona, CA

🕒 Local time

20:03 8:03 PM

19:03 7:03 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

154,271

💱 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 →

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Between locations

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

From you

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

San Jose and Pomona, CA differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,938 vs $2,738 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 263% lower in Pomona, 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 $1,925 in Pomona, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Pomona, CA pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $75.0 in Pomona, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,738 in Pomona, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Pomona, 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 41% less than in Pomona, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.