Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tustin, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $4,359 in Tustin, CA, rent and utilities included – about $28,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

Cost of Living Index in Tustin, CA
Learn more

Tustin, CA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Tustin, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,359

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,359 per month in Tustin, CA vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Tustin, CA $4,359
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $6,011 per month in Tustin, CA vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Tustin, CA $6,011
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $7,663 per month in Tustin, CA vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Tustin, CA $7,663
San Jose $3,857

Tustin, CA costs about 124% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tustin, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Tustin, CA by 225%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.78 $24.78

$12.22 ₡5,510

102.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 $68.7

$60.1 ₡27.1K

14.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 $15.21

$11.77 ₡5,305

29.23%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.30 ₡1,939

31.63%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$2.72 ₡1,226

12.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.84 ₡830

27.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.40 $7.40

$3.28 ₡1,480

125.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.73 $9.73

$4.36 ₡1,966

123.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$2.38 ₡1,074

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.12 ₡1,408

69.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.41 ₡1,086

99.17%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$3.47 ₡1,564

40.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$10.57 ₡4,767

48.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$10.56 ₡4,758

23.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.15 $15.15

$13.75 ₡6,196

10.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$5.04 ₡2,274

-5.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.61 ₡727

56.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$4.59 ₡2,069

-13.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.84 ₡1,731

43.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$3.77 ₡1,700

-2.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.76 ₡1,693

-15.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.12 ₡506

93.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.20 ₡1,441

-11.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.79 $11.79

$5.84 ₡2,632

101.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$19.73 ₡8,897

-24.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.75 ₡1,240

-12.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.66 ₡1,650

19.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.12 ₡503

81.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.56 $34.56

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-46.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.46 ₡1,110

29.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.54 ₡692

18.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.85 $29.85

$8.46 ₡3,815

252.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.55 ₡699

-1.94%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

70.35%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-26.84%

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

$216 $216

$94.7 ₡42.7K

128.46%

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

$86.5 $86.5

$35.11 ₡15.8K

146.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.4 $72.4

$58.6 ₡26.4K

23.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.7 $99.7

$72.2 ₡32.5K

38.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.29 $25.29

$25.19 ₡11.4K

0.40%

Cinema Ticket

$17.25 $17.25

$7.83 ₡3,532

120.31%

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

$1,493 $1,493

$971 ₡437.9K

53.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K $30.2K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

77.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.8 $72.8

$71.6 ₡32.3K

1.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.60 $40.60

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-25.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$129 ₡58.2K

-17.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$133 ₡60.0K

14.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$934 ₡420.9K

225.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,758 $2,758

$770 ₡347.2K

258.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,320 $4,320

$1,945 ₡876.7K

122.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,070 $4,070

$1,316 ₡593.5K

209.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,989 $7,989

$2,277 ₡1.0M

250.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,303 $5,303

$1,795 ₡809.1K

195.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$1,006 ₡453.5K

383.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

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

Last update for Tustin, 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

Tustin, CA

$2.8K 63.6%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 72.1% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Tustin, CA

$454 10.5%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 12.2% $55

Eating Out

Tustin, CA

$390 9%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 41.5% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tustin, CA

$375 8.7%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 49.8% $187

Clothing & Footwear

Tustin, CA

$168 3.9%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 4.3% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Tustin, CA

$134 3.1%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 34.6% $46

Getting Around

Tustin, CA

$55 1.3%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 44.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,040 in Tustin, 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 384% higher in Tustin, 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 $69.0 in Tustin, CA versus $60.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $454 vs $399 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tustin, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

07:33 7:33 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

1 h ahead of Tustin, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

69,665

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tustin, CA San Jose 4,340 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Tustin, 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

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

Yes – Tustin, CA is pricier by about 124%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,538 per month in Tustin, 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 $69.0 in Tustin, 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 $4,359 in Tustin, CA and $1,949 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 124%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Tustin, CA at $4,359. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tustin, 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, Tustin, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.