Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Santa Monica, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA, rent and utilities included – about $29,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
214

Cost of Living Index in Santa Monica, CA
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Santa Monica, CA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,430

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Santa Monica, CA $4,430

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $6,581 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Santa Monica, CA $6,581

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $8,732 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Santa Monica, CA $8,732

San Jose is about 56% cheaper than Santa Monica, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Santa Monica, CA sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, Santa Monica, CA by 228%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$26.77 $26.77

-53.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$118 $118

-48.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$14.88 $14.88

-23.05%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$5.93 $5.93

-25.97%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$3.26 $3.26

-17.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$2.40 $2.40

-19.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$8.13 $8.13

-60.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$9.95 $9.95

-55.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.34 $1.34

82.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$4.57 $4.57

-33.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$4.65 $4.65

-48.17%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$5.73 $5.73

-40.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$15.77 $15.77

-31.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$14.21 $14.21

-26.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$19.80 $19.80

-29.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$4.76 $4.76

10.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$2.29 $2.29

-30.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$3.95 $3.95

18.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$5.45 $5.45

-27.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$3.31 $3.31

18.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$2.83 $2.83

30.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.14 $2.14

-47.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$2.48 $2.48

28.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$11.56 $11.56

-48.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$15.25 $15.25

28.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$2.43 $2.43

16.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$3.06 $3.06

17.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.52 $2.52

-55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$67.0 $67.0

-0.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$3.15 $3.15

-20.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.90 $1.90

-14.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$32.68 $32.68

-73.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.45 $1.45

7.59%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$36.8K $36.8K

-39.11%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$25.6K $25.6K

39.16%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$218 $218

-56.28%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$46.37 $46.37

-23.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$65.1 $65.1

-9.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$70.7 $70.7

2.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$44.11 $44.11

-43.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$19.36 $19.36

-60.85%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$1,694 $1,694

-40.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$32.5K $32.5K

-47.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$88.9 $88.9

-20.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$54.8 $54.8

1.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$104 $104

24.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$121 $121

7.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$3,328 $3,328

-72.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$2,860 $2,860

-72.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$5,804 $5,804

-66.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$5,048 $5,048

-74.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$10.9K $10.9K

-79.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$7,924 $7,924

-76.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$6,900 $6,900

-85.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.62

30.21%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Santa Monica, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Santa Monica, CA

$2.9K 64.6% 269% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Santa Monica, CA

$462 10.4% 15.1% $61

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Santa Monica, CA

$413 9.3% 80.2% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Santa Monica, CA

$329 7.4% 73.8% $140

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Santa Monica, CA

$166 3.8% 4.6% $8

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Santa Monica, CA

$109 2.5% 24.5% $22

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Santa Monica, CA

$90 2% 9.6% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $3,328 in Santa Monica, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 579% higher in Santa Monica, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose versus $118 in Santa Monica, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $462 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🕒 Local time

20:55 8:55 PM

19:55 7:55 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

89,736

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Santa Monica, CA 4,410 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Santa Monica, CA is pricier by about 129%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $6,645 in Santa Monica, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose and $118 in Santa Monica, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,938 in San Jose and $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA. That's a gap of about 129%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Santa Monica, CA at $4,430. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Monica, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Monica, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.