Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose, CA: $4,378 a month against $4,929 in San Rafael, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

238

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael, CA
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San Rafael, CA Living Index
211

Cost of Living Index in San Jose, CA
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San Jose, CA Living Index

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San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,929

/mo nomad

San Jose, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,378

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,929 in San Rafael, CA versus $4,378 in San Jose, CA.

San Rafael, CA $4,929
San Jose, CA $4,378

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,391 in San Rafael, CA versus $6,147 in San Jose, CA.

San Rafael, CA $6,391
San Jose, CA $6,147

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,853 in San Rafael, CA versus $7,916 in San Jose, CA.

San Rafael, CA $7,853
San Jose, CA $7,916

Living in San Rafael, CA is roughly 13% more expensive than in San Jose, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Rafael, CA 265% above, San Jose, CA 224% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.68 $24.68

$22.37 $22.37

10.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$99.9 $99.9

19.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$11.95 $11.95

0.84%

Cappuccino

$4.74 $4.74

$5.95 $5.95

-20.34%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$3.22 $3.22

-5.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.34 $2.34

25.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 $5.38

$9.08 $9.08

-40.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 $6.98

$9.83 $9.83

-28.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.66 $1.66

-14.46%

White Bread (500g)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.55 $4.55

-0.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$4.01 $4.01

141.65%

Eggs

$5.42 $5.42

$5.89 $5.89

-7.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.21 $23.21

$19.91 $19.91

16.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.45 $15.45

$14.27 $14.27

8.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.15 $18.15

$22.06 $22.06

-17.72%

Apples (1kg)

$7.63 $7.63

$5.15 $5.15

48.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.92 $1.92

52.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.29 $6.29

$5.63 $5.63

11.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.58 $8.58

$5.58 $5.58

53.76%

Potato (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.64 $3.64

61.81%

Onion (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.88 $2.88

88.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.46 $2.46

24.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.48 $2.48

56.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 $10.85

$11.73 $11.73

-7.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.96 $12.96

$15.70 $15.70

-17.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.44 $2.44

-8.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.38 $3.38

-11.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.45 $2.45

-16.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 $65.7

$89.3 $89.3

-26.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.52 $3.52

16.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.97 $2.97

49.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.84 $28.84

$30.48 $30.48

-5.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.51 $1.51

-4.64%

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

$32.0K $32.0K

$36.3K $36.3K

-11.73%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$25.5K $25.5K

3.80%

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

$253 $253

$273 $273

-7.19%

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

$85.4 $85.4

$47.11 $47.11

81.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$84.3 $84.3

-27.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$124 $124

$142 $142

-12.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.21 $30.21

$24.45 $24.45

23.56%

Cinema Ticket

$13.14 $13.14

$16.89 $16.89

-22.20%

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

$2,088 $2,088

$1,829 $1,829

14.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.1K $25.1K

$39.2K $39.2K

-36.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 $59.7

$59.3 $59.3

0.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.92 $42.92

$50.4 $50.4

-14.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 $96.8

$98.7 $98.7

-1.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$122 $122

4.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,074 $3,074

$3,133 $3,133

-1.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,202 $3,202

$2,665 $2,665

20.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,278 $4,278

$4,768 $4,768

-10.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 $3,860

$4,128 $4,128

-6.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,456 $7,456

$9,009 $9,009

-17.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,281 $5,281

$9,111 $9,111

-42.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,077 $7,077

$6,253 $6,253

13.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.67

-0.75%

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

Last update for San Rafael, CA: October 11, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Rafael, CA

$3.2K 65%

San Jose, CA

$2.7K 60.9% 16.8% $537

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael, CA

$575 11.7%

San Jose, CA

$493 11.3% 14.3% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael, CA

$400 8.1%

San Jose, CA

$404 9.2% 1.1% $4.3

Eating Out

San Rafael, CA

$355 7.2%

San Jose, CA

$374 8.5% 5.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael, CA

$150 3%

San Jose, CA

$176 4% 17.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael, CA

$147 3%

San Jose, CA

$148 3.4% 1.3% $1.8

Getting Around

San Rafael, CA

$100 2%

San Jose, CA

$117 2.7% 17.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,074 in San Rafael, CA and $3,133 in San Jose, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Rafael, CA pays 13% 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: $120 in San Rafael, CA vs $100 in San Jose, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $575 vs $493 per month, with San Jose, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 San Jose, CA

🕒 Local time

11:32 11:32 AM

Same time as San Rafael, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,704

1,035,317

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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San Rafael, CA San Jose, CA 91 km

From you

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

San Jose, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in San Rafael, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 13% higher in San Rafael, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,074 in San Rafael, CA versus $3,133 in San Jose, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Jose, CA runs roughly 36% less than in San Rafael, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,088 in San Rafael, CA versus $1,829 in San Jose, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. San Jose, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose, CA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $4,378 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose, CA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Rafael, CA and San Jose, 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, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in San Rafael, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.