Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $4,955 in San Rafael, CA, rent and utilities included – about $36,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

237

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael, CA
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San Rafael, CA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,955

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,955 per month in San Rafael, CA vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

San Rafael, CA $4,955
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $6,421 per month in San Rafael, CA vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

San Rafael, CA $6,421
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $7,886 per month in San Rafael, CA vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

San Rafael, CA $7,886
San Jose $3,857

San Rafael, CA costs about 154% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Rafael, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – San Rafael, CA by 270%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.06 $25.06

$12.22 ₡5,510

105.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$60.1 ₡27.1K

100.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.77 ₡5,305

2.55%

Cappuccino

$4.67 $4.67

$4.30 ₡1,939

8.60%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$2.72 ₡1,226

9.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.84 ₡830

61.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 $5.40

$3.28 ₡1,480

64.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$4.36 ₡1,966

59.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.38 ₡1,074

-36.97%

White Bread (500g)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.12 ₡1,408

41.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$2.41 ₡1,086

302.07%

Eggs

$5.52 $5.52

$3.47 ₡1,564

59.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.55 $22.55

$10.57 ₡4,767

113.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.37 $15.37

$10.56 ₡4,758

45.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.20 $18.20

$13.75 ₡6,196

32.36%

Apples (1kg)

$7.34 $7.34

$5.04 ₡2,274

45.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.61 ₡727

81.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$4.59 ₡2,069

44.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.27 $8.27

$3.84 ₡1,731

115.36%

Potato (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$3.77 ₡1,700

53.32%

Onion (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$3.76 ₡1,693

44.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.12 ₡506

185.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.87 $3.87

$3.20 ₡1,441

20.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.79 $10.79

$5.84 ₡2,632

84.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.81 $12.81

$19.73 ₡8,897

-35.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.75 ₡1,240

-19.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.66 ₡1,650

-15.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.12 ₡503

77.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 $64.5

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-0.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.46 ₡1,110

66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.54 ₡692

178.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.62 $28.62

$8.46 ₡3,815

238.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.55 ₡699

-7.10%

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

$32.2K $32.2K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

48.32%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-21.72%

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

$259 $259

$94.7 ₡42.7K

173.77%

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

$84.3 $84.3

$35.11 ₡15.8K

140.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.8 $61.8

$58.6 ₡26.4K

5.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$124 $124

$72.2 ₡32.5K

71.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.76 $29.76

$25.19 ₡11.4K

18.14%

Cinema Ticket

$12.97 $12.97

$7.83 ₡3,532

65.64%

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

$2,128 $2,128

$971 ₡437.9K

119.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K $24.6K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

44.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 $59.2

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-17.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.66 $42.66

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-22.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 $94.0

$129 ₡58.2K

-27.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$133 ₡60.0K

-4.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,079 $3,079

$934 ₡420.9K

229.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,143 $3,143

$770 ₡347.2K

308.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,230 $4,230

$1,945 ₡876.7K

117.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,789 $3,789

$1,316 ₡593.5K

187.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,545 $7,545

$2,277 ₡1.0M

231.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,372 $5,372

$1,795 ₡809.1K

199.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,047 $7,047

$1,006 ₡453.5K

600.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

8.62

-23.20%

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

Last update for San Rafael, CA: October 3, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Rafael, CA

$3.1K 64.5%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 75.5% $2.4K

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael, CA

$572 11.7%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 30.2% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael, CA

$405 8.3%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 53.5% $217

Eating Out

San Rafael, CA

$357 7.3%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 36.2% $129

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael, CA

$150 3.1%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 41.4% $62

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael, CA

$146 3%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 20.1% $29

Getting Around

San Rafael, CA

$98 2%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 18.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,079 in San Rafael, CA versus $934 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 601% higher in San Rafael, 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 $120 in San Rafael, CA versus $60.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $572 vs $399 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Rafael, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

22:47 10:47 PM

1 h ahead of San Rafael, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,704

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Rafael, CA San Jose 4,940 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – San Rafael, CA is pricier by about 154%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,432 per month in San Rafael, CA and $2,924 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 $120 in San Rafael, CA and $60.0 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 $4,955 in San Rafael, CA and $1,949 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 154%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in San Rafael, CA at $4,955. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Rafael, 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 Rafael, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.