Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $4,189 in Santa Clara, CA, rent and utilities included – about $27,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

203

Cost of Living Index in Santa Clara, CA
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Santa Clara, CA Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Santa Clara, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,189

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,189 per month in Santa Clara, CA vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Santa Clara, CA $4,189
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $5,899 per month in Santa Clara, CA vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Santa Clara, CA $5,899
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $7,608 per month in Santa Clara, CA vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Santa Clara, CA $7,608
San Jose $3,934

Santa Clara, CA costs about 116% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santa Clara, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Santa Clara, CA by 210%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.66 $24.66

$12.38 ₡5,551

99.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 $111

$60.9 ₡27.3K

82.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 $11.90

$11.45 ₡5,135

3.93%

Cappuccino

$5.75 $5.75

$4.39 ₡1,967

30.98%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$2.70 ₡1,211

12.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.93 ₡864

24.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$3.20 ₡1,433

142.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$4.41 ₡1,979

84.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.44 ₡1,093

-47.95%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.05 ₡1,369

37.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$2.41 ₡1,081

95.85%

Eggs

$5.46 $5.46

$3.40 ₡1,523

60.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.69 $24.69

$10.75 ₡4,823

129.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 $11.90

$10.43 ₡4,679

14.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.97 $12.97

$13.99 ₡6,273

-7.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$5.25 ₡2,353

5.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.59 ₡712

48.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$4.69 ₡2,103

3.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$3.95 ₡1,770

46.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.92 ₡1,760

-16.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.68 ₡1,651

-16.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.12 ₡503

173.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.19 ₡1,429

-14.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.65 $7.65

$6.00 ₡2,692

27.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.09 $13.09

$19.56 ₡8,771

-33.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.82 ₡1,263

-39.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.59 ₡1,611

-29.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.12 ₡503

160.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 $89.3

$66.8 ₡30.0K

33.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.50 ₡1,119

30.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.63 ₡733

51.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.36 $39.36

$8.50 ₡3,812

363.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.56 ₡701

-3.85%

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

$37.5K $37.5K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

67.35%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-26.54%

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

$191 $191

$95.2 ₡42.7K

101.09%

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

$39.17 $39.17

$35.58 ₡16.0K

10.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.9 $62.9

$58.6 ₡26.3K

7.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.3 $98.3

$72.7 ₡32.6K

35.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 $14.14

$24.85 ₡11.1K

-43.10%

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 $16.13

$7.58 ₡3,401

112.80%

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

$2,693 $2,693

$1,001 ₡449.0K

169.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.4K $37.4K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

118.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 $50.8

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-27.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.79 $40.79

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-26.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 $76.5

$130 ₡58.2K

-41.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.8 $59.8

$131 ₡58.7K

-54.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,946 $2,946

$927 ₡415.8K

217.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,708 $2,708

$774 ₡347.2K

249.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,427 $4,427

$1,967 ₡882.0K

125.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,153 $4,153

$1,288 ₡577.6K

222.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,978 $8,978

$2,274 ₡1.0M

294.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,900 $8,900

$1,831 ₡821.0K

386.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,229 $8,229

$1,016 ₡455.8K

709.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

8.62

-21.46%

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

Last update for Santa Clara, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Clara, CA

$2.7K 64.6%

San Jose

$774 40% 71.4% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Clara, CA

$459 11%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 12.6% $58

Eating Out

Santa Clara, CA

$379 9%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 39.5% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Clara, CA

$294 7%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 35.5% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Clara, CA

$131 3.1%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 32.7% $43

Getting Around

Santa Clara, CA

$117 2.8%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 29.7% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Clara, CA

$103 2.5%

San Jose

$174 9% 69.8% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,946 in Santa Clara, 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 710% higher in Santa Clara, 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 $111 in Santa Clara, CA versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $459 vs $401 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Clara, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

20:39 8:39 PM

21:39 9:39 PM

1 h ahead of Santa Clara, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

130,365

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

Santa Clara, CA San Jose 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Clara, 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

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

Yes – Santa Clara, CA is pricier by about 116%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,284 per month in Santa Clara, 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 $111 in Santa Clara, 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 $4,189 in Santa Clara, CA and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 116%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Santa Clara, CA at $4,189. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Clara, 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 Clara, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.