Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Rancho Cucamonga, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 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
164

Cost of Living Index in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Learn more

Rancho Cucamonga, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,385

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in San Jose versus $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

San Jose $1,938
Rancho Cucamonga, CA $3,385

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,936 in San Jose versus $4,782 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

San Jose $2,936
Rancho Cucamonga, CA $4,782

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,934 in San Jose versus $6,179 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

San Jose $3,934
Rancho Cucamonga, CA $6,179

Living in San Jose costs roughly 43% less than in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 44% above, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 151% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$24.89 $24.89

-50.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$80.9 $80.9

-24.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$15.87 $15.87

-27.85%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$5.64 $5.64

-22.16%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$3.15 $3.15

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$2.33 $2.33

-17.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$7.54 $7.54

-57.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$9.24 $9.24

-52.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.23 $1.23

98.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$4.21 $4.21

-27.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$4.80 $4.80

-49.79%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$4.82 $4.82

-29.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$13.13 $13.13

-18.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$10.92 $10.92

-4.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$15.14 $15.14

-7.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$4.87 $4.87

7.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$2.50 $2.50

-36.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$5.43 $5.43

-13.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$5.70 $5.70

-30.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$3.74 $3.74

4.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$3.04 $3.04

21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.16 $2.16

-48.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$2.54 $2.54

25.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$11.78 $11.78

-49.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$14.97 $14.97

30.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$2.48 $2.48

13.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$4.10 $4.10

-12.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.97 $1.97

-43.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$59.4 $59.4

12.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.50 $2.50

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.48 $1.48

5.41%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

35.31%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$220 $220

-56.70%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$72.4 $72.4

-50.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$72.9 $72.9

-19.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$23.28 $23.28

212.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$9.85 $9.85

152.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$17.30 $17.30

-56.18%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$1,005 $1,005

-0.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$58.1 $58.1

21.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$39.54 $39.54

41.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$107 $107

21.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$145 $145

-9.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$2,467 $2,467

-62.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$1,914 $1,914

-59.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$3,828 $3,828

-48.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$2,947 $2,947

-56.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$5,140 $5,140

-80.23%

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 Rancho Cucamonga, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$1.9K 56.5% 147% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$429 12.7% 6.9% $28

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$393 11.6% 71.2% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$365 10.8% 92.8% $176

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$157 4.6% 9.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$58 1.7% 34.1% $30

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$70 * 2.1% 14.9% $12

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 $2,467 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rancho Cucamonga, CA pays 406% 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 $81.0 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $429 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Rancho Cucamonga, CA

🕒 Local time

21:53 9:53 PM

20:53 8:53 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

170,714

💱 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 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 4,340 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

San Jose and Rancho Cucamonga, CA differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($1,938 vs $3,385 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 406% lower in Rancho Cucamonga, 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 $2,467 in Rancho Cucamonga, 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 $61.0 versus $81.0 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,938 per month in San Jose versus $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Rancho Cucamonga, 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.

Safety-wise, San Jose and Rancho Cucamonga, 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 75% less than in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.