Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Mateo, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $4,419 in San Mateo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $29,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

215

Cost of Living Index in San Mateo, CA
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San Mateo, CA Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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San Mateo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,419

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Mateo, CA and in San Jose

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Mateo, CA and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,419 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $4,419
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $6,644 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $6,644
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $8,868 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $8,868
San Jose $3,934

San Mateo, CA costs about 128% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Mateo, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – San Mateo, CA by 227%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 $19.81

$12.38 ₡5,551

60.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$60.9 ₡27.3K

61.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 $12.87

$11.45 ₡5,135

12.40%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$4.39 ₡1,967

26.20%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$2.70 ₡1,211

14.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.93 ₡864

45.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 $8.31

$3.20 ₡1,433

159.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 $9.86

$4.41 ₡1,979

123.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.44 ₡1,093

-34.02%

White Bread (500g)

$5.96 $5.96

$3.05 ₡1,369

95.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$2.41 ₡1,081

148.13%

Eggs

$7.19 $7.19

$3.40 ₡1,523

111.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 $13.35

$10.75 ₡4,823

24.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$10.43 ₡4,679

82.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.87 $19.87

$13.99 ₡6,273

42.03%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.25 ₡2,353

15.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.59 ₡712

33.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$4.69 ₡2,103

-16.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.86 $8.86

$3.95 ₡1,770

124.30%

Potato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.92 ₡1,760

10.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.68 ₡1,651

-17.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.12 ₡503

173.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.19 ₡1,429

-38.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 $11.94

$6.00 ₡2,692

99.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.53 $14.53

$19.56 ₡8,771

-25.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.82 ₡1,263

-40.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$3.59 ₡1,611

-46.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.99 $3.99

$1.12 ₡503

256.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 $97.1

$66.8 ₡30.0K

45.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.50 ₡1,119

62.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.63 ₡733

24.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.56 ₡701

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

64.37%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-26.91%

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

$267 $267

$95.2 ₡42.7K

180.18%

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

$41.54 $41.54

$35.58 ₡16.0K

16.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 $62.4

$58.6 ₡26.3K

6.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 $109

$72.7 ₡32.6K

49.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.40 $9.40

$24.85 ₡11.1K

-62.17%

Cinema Ticket

$18.35 $18.35

$7.58 ₡3,401

142.08%

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

$2,947 $2,947

$1,001 ₡449.0K

194.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.8K $28.8K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

68.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 $63.6

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-9.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.52 $47.52

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-14.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$130 ₡58.2K

-9.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$131 ₡58.7K

2.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,421 $3,421

$927 ₡415.8K

268.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,741 $2,741

$774 ₡347.2K

253.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,944 $5,944

$1,967 ₡882.0K

202.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,128 $5,128

$1,288 ₡577.6K

298.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K $13.8K

$2,274 ₡1.0M

507.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,907 $8,907

$1,831 ₡821.0K

386.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,501 $7,501

$1,016 ₡455.8K

638.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

8.62

-24.25%

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

Last update for San Mateo, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Mateo, CA

$2.7K 62%

San Jose

$774 40% 71.7% $2K

Groceries & Markets

San Mateo, CA

$523 11.8%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 23.3% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Mateo, CA

$371 8.4%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 48.9% $181

Eating Out

San Mateo, CA

$348 7.9%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 34.2% $119

Clothing & Footwear

San Mateo, CA

$163 3.7%

San Jose

$174 9% 6.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

San Mateo, CA

$146 3.3%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 39.7% $58

Getting Around

San Mateo, CA

$127 2.9%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 35.6% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,421 in San Mateo, CA versus $927 in San Jose. 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 638% higher in San Mateo, 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 $98.0 in San Mateo, CA versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $523 vs $401 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Mateo, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

09:56 9:56 AM

10:56 10:56 AM

1 h ahead of San Mateo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,536

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Mateo, CA San Jose 4,900 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Mateo, CA
San Jose

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

Yes – San Mateo, CA is pricier by about 128%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,628 per month in San Mateo, CA and $2,907 in San Jose. 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 $98.0 in San Mateo, CA and $61.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,419 in San Mateo, CA and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 128%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in San Mateo, CA at $4,419. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Mateo, 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, San Mateo, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.