Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Union City, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $4,153 in Union City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $26,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

199

Cost of Living Index in Union City, CA
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Union City, CA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Union City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,153

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,153 per month in Union City, CA vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Union City, CA $4,153
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $6,121 per month in Union City, CA vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Union City, CA $6,121
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $8,090 per month in Union City, CA vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Union City, CA $8,090
San Jose $3,929

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

Both Union City, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Union City, CA by 206%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.48 $22.48

$12.29 ₡5,513

82.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$62.3 ₡27.9K

62.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.05 $13.05

$11.53 ₡5,171

13.18%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.35 ₡1,953

28.51%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$2.64 ₡1,183

11.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.86 ₡836

31.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.02 $8.02

$3.32 ₡1,490

141.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$4.52 ₡2,026

117.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.39 ₡1,073

-46.86%

White Bread (500g)

$4.53 $4.53

$3.08 ₡1,381

47.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.50 ₡1,119

60.40%

Eggs

$5.99 $5.99

$3.48 ₡1,562

72.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.01 $20.01

$10.74 ₡4,815

86.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 $13.12

$10.32 ₡4,629

27.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.05 $9.05

$14.10 ₡6,325

-35.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.03 ₡2,256

3.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.59 ₡714

22.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$4.84 ₡2,171

-44.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$3.96 ₡1,776

9.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.76 ₡1,684

-40.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.73 ₡1,674

-21.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.08 ₡485

125.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.25 ₡1,456

-23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 $11.66

$5.86 ₡2,627

98.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.61 $15.61

$20.28 ₡9,095

-23.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.90 ₡1,300

-15.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$3.73 ₡1,673

-11.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.50 ₡1,123

40.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.63 ₡732

14.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.63 $29.63

$8.71 ₡3,904

240.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.58 ₡709

-3.80%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-18.75%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-35.42%

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

$279 $279

$93.7 ₡42.0K

198.40%

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

$47.53 $47.53

$35.42 ₡15.9K

34.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.7 $82.7

$60.0 ₡26.9K

37.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.49 $42.49

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-41.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$16.76 $16.76

$7.74 ₡3,471

116.54%

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

$1,841 $1,841

$1,005 ₡450.9K

83.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.2K $39.2K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

132.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.10 $41.10

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-43.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 $51.6

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-6.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 $87.7

$128 ₡57.5K

-31.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$130 ₡58.5K

-6.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,505 $3,505

$932 ₡418.0K

276.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 $2,728

$760 ₡340.8K

258.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,794 $4,794

$1,922 ₡862.0K

149.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,944 $4,944

$1,276 ₡572.1K

287.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,169 $7,169

$1,029 ₡461.3K

596.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

8.62

-22.62%

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

Last update for Union City, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Union City, CA

$2.7K 65.7%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 72.1% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Union City, CA

$423 10.2%

San Jose

$403 21% 4.7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Union City, CA

$410 9.9%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 53.9% $221

Eating Out

Union City, CA

$367 8.9%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 37.7% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Union City, CA

$136 3.3%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 28.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Union City, CA

$76 1.8%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 15.9% $12

Getting Around

Union City, CA

$13 * 0.3%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 525% $68

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,505 in Union City, CA versus $932 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 597% higher in Union City, 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 Union City, CA versus $62.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $423 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Union City, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

06:15 6:15 AM

07:15 7:15 AM

1 h ahead of Union City, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,930

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Union City, CA San Jose 4,880 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Union City, 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

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

Yes – Union City, 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 $6,229 per month in Union City, CA and $2,886 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,153 in Union City, CA and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 116%.

Kindergarten costs $1,841 per month in Union City, CA and $1,005 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Union City, CA at $4,153. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Union City, 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, Union City, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.