Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $3,822 in Santa Clarita, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

187

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Santa Clarita, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,822

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,822 per month in Santa Clarita, CA vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Santa Clarita, CA $3,822
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $5,089 per month in Santa Clarita, CA vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Santa Clarita, CA $5,089
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $6,356 per month in Santa Clarita, CA vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Santa Clarita, CA $6,356
San Jose $3,934

Santa Clarita, CA costs about 97% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santa Clarita, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Santa Clarita, CA by 183%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 $19.96

$12.38 ₡5,551

61.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.9 ₡27.3K

65.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.45 ₡5,135

31.35%

Cappuccino

$6.11 $6.11

$4.39 ₡1,967

39.18%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.70 ₡1,211

35.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.93 ₡864

53.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 $8.20

$3.20 ₡1,433

156.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.04 $9.04

$4.41 ₡1,979

104.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.44 ₡1,093

-51.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.05 ₡1,369

33.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.41 ₡1,081

104.98%

Eggs

$4.94 $4.94

$3.40 ₡1,523

45.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.19 $19.19

$10.75 ₡4,823

78.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 $8.23

$10.43 ₡4,679

-21.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.68 $16.68

$13.99 ₡6,273

19.23%

Apples (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$5.25 ₡2,353

22.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.59 ₡712

28.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$4.69 ₡2,103

-34.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.95 ₡1,770

-23.29%

Potato (1kg)

$8.51 $8.51

$3.92 ₡1,760

117.09%

Onion (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$3.68 ₡1,651

31.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.12 ₡503

221.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.19 ₡1,429

-15.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.48 $11.48

$6.00 ₡2,692

91.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 $15.76

$19.56 ₡8,771

-19.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.82 ₡1,263

-37.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.59 ₡1,611

21.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.12 ₡503

127.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.78 $26.78

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-59.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.50 ₡1,119

14.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.63 ₡733

55.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.8 $60.8

$8.50 ₡3,812

615.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.56 ₡701

-14.74%

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

$23.4K $23.4K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

4.36%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-26.49%

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

$229 $229

$95.2 ₡42.7K

140.39%

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

$55.7 $55.7

$35.58 ₡16.0K

56.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$58.6 ₡26.3K

22.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.08 $37.08

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-48.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.22 $25.22

$24.85 ₡11.1K

1.49%

Cinema Ticket

$14.23 $14.23

$7.58 ₡3,401

87.73%

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

$1,402 $1,402

$1,001 ₡449.0K

40.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.2K $37.2K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

116.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 $74.7

$70.5 ₡31.6K

5.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.07 $27.07

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-51.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 $72.1

$130 ₡58.2K

-44.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$131 ₡58.7K

-17.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,850 $2,850

$927 ₡415.8K

207.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,414 $2,414

$774 ₡347.2K

211.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,759 $3,759

$1,967 ₡882.0K

91.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,152 $3,152

$1,288 ₡577.6K

144.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,695 $3,695

$2,274 ₡1.0M

62.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,359 $4,359

$1,831 ₡821.0K

138.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$1,016 ₡455.8K

409.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

8.62

-24.71%

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

Last update for Santa Clarita, 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

Santa Clarita, CA

$2.4K 63.2%

San Jose

$774 40% 67.9% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Clarita, CA

$444 11.6%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 9.6% $43

Eating Out

Santa Clarita, CA

$364 9.5%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 36.9% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Clarita, CA

$356 9.3%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 46.8% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Clarita, CA

$127 3.3%

San Jose

$174 9% 37.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Clarita, CA

$66 1.7%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 34% $22

Getting Around

Santa Clarita, CA

$52 1.4%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 56.2% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,850 in Santa Clarita, 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 410% higher in Santa Clarita, 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 $101 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $444 vs $401 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Clarita, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

17:14 5:14 PM

18:14 6:14 PM

1 h ahead of Santa Clarita, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

182,371

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santa Clarita, CA San Jose 4,430 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Santa Clarita, CA is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,734 per month in Santa Clarita, 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 $101 in Santa Clarita, 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 $3,822 in Santa Clarita, CA and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 97%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Santa Clarita, CA at $3,822. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Clarita, 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 Clarita, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.