Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA, rent and utilities included – about $29,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

214

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,430

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,430 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $4,430
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $6,581 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $6,581
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $8,732 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $8,732
San Jose $3,934

Santa Monica, CA costs about 129% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santa Monica, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Santa Monica, CA by 228%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.77 $26.77

$12.38 ₡5,551

116.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$60.9 ₡27.3K

94.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 $14.88

$11.45 ₡5,135

29.96%

Cappuccino

$5.93 $5.93

$4.39 ₡1,967

35.08%

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

$3.26 $3.26

$2.70 ₡1,211

20.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.93 ₡864

24.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$3.20 ₡1,433

154.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 $9.95

$4.41 ₡1,979

125.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$2.44 ₡1,093

-45.08%

White Bread (500g)

$4.57 $4.57

$3.05 ₡1,369

49.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.41 ₡1,081

92.95%

Eggs

$5.73 $5.73

$3.40 ₡1,523

68.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.77 $15.77

$10.75 ₡4,823

46.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.21 $14.21

$10.43 ₡4,679

36.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 $19.80

$13.99 ₡6,273

41.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$5.25 ₡2,353

-9.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.59 ₡712

44.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$4.69 ₡2,103

-15.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.95 ₡1,770

37.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.92 ₡1,760

-15.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.68 ₡1,651

-23.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.12 ₡503

91.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.19 ₡1,429

-22.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$6.00 ₡2,692

92.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$19.56 ₡8,771

-22.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.82 ₡1,263

-13.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.59 ₡1,611

-14.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.12 ₡503

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 $67.0

$66.8 ₡30.0K

0.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.50 ₡1,119

26.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.63 ₡733

16.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.68 $32.68

$8.50 ₡3,812

284.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.56 ₡701

-7.05%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

64.22%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-28.14%

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

$218 $218

$95.2 ₡42.7K

128.73%

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

$46.37 $46.37

$35.58 ₡16.0K

30.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.1 $65.1

$58.6 ₡26.3K

11.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 $70.7

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-2.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.11 $44.11

$24.85 ₡11.1K

77.51%

Cinema Ticket

$19.36 $19.36

$7.58 ₡3,401

155.41%

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

$1,694 $1,694

$1,001 ₡449.0K

69.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.5K $32.5K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

89.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 $88.9

$70.5 ₡31.6K

26.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 $54.8

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-1.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$130 ₡58.2K

-19.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$131 ₡58.7K

-7.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,328 $3,328

$927 ₡415.8K

258.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 $2,860

$774 ₡347.2K

269.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,804 $5,804

$1,967 ₡882.0K

195.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,048 $5,048

$1,288 ₡577.6K

291.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$2,274 ₡1.0M

377.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,924 $7,924

$1,831 ₡821.0K

332.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,900 $6,900

$1,016 ₡455.8K

578.97%

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 Santa Monica, 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 Monica, CA

$2.9K 64.6%

San Jose

$774 40% 72.9% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Monica, CA

$462 10.4%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 13.1% $61

Eating Out

Santa Monica, CA

$413 9.3%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 44.5% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Monica, CA

$329 7.4%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 42.5% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Monica, CA

$166 3.8%

San Jose

$174 9% 4.8% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Monica, CA

$109 2.5%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 19.7% $22

Getting Around

Santa Monica, CA

$90 2%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 8.7% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,328 in Santa Monica, 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 579% higher in Santa Monica, 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 $118 in Santa Monica, CA versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $462 vs $401 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

19:09 7:09 PM

20:09 8:09 PM

1 h ahead of Santa Monica, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,736

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 Monica, CA San Jose 4,410 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Santa Monica, CA is pricier by about 129%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,645 per month in Santa Monica, 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 $118 in Santa Monica, 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 $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 129%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Santa Monica, CA at $4,430. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Monica, 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 Monica, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.