Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Upland, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,837 in Upland, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Upland, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

139

Cost of Living Index in Upland, CA
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Upland, CA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Upland, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,837

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,837 per month in Upland, CA vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Upland, CA $2,837
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $4,100 per month in Upland, CA vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Upland, CA $4,100
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $5,362 per month in Upland, CA vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Upland, CA $5,362
San Jose $3,929

Upland, CA costs about 47% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Upland, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Upland, CA by 109%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.96 $14.96

$12.29 ₡5,513

21.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 $68.7

$62.3 ₡27.9K

10.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$11.53 ₡5,171

5.29%

Cappuccino

$1.95 $1.95

$4.35 ₡1,953

-55.17%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$2.64 ₡1,183

-23.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.86 ₡836

10.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.63 $7.63

$3.32 ₡1,490

129.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.57 $9.57

$4.52 ₡2,026

111.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.39 ₡1,073

-56.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 $1.63

$3.08 ₡1,381

-47.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.50 ₡1,119

-14.40%

Eggs

$4.72 $4.72

$3.48 ₡1,562

35.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$10.74 ₡4,815

-17.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$10.32 ₡4,629

-37.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 $10.93

$14.10 ₡6,325

-22.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$5.03 ₡2,256

-11.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.59 ₡714

5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$4.84 ₡2,171

-32.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$3.96 ₡1,776

46.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.76 ₡1,684

-40.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$3.73 ₡1,674

-39.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.08 ₡485

81.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$3.25 ₡1,456

-42.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 $11.90

$5.86 ₡2,627

103.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 $12.13

$20.28 ₡9,095

-40.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.90 ₡1,300

-31.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 $1.26

$3.73 ₡1,673

-66.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 $59.5

$65.5 ₡29.4K

-9.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 $6.15

$2.50 ₡1,123

146.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.58 ₡709

-6.96%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-14.39%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-33.76%

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

$168 $168

$93.7 ₡42.0K

79.09%

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

$66.6 $66.6

$35.42 ₡15.9K

87.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 $58.1

$60.0 ₡26.9K

-3.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 $12.11

$7.74 ₡3,471

56.46%

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

$1,890 $1,890

$1,005 ₡450.9K

87.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 $54.9

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-24.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 $40.06

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-27.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 $88.5

$128 ₡57.5K

-31.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$130 ₡58.5K

-6.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,474 $1,474

$932 ₡418.0K

58.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 $1,766

$760 ₡340.8K

132.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,598 $2,598

$1,922 ₡862.0K

35.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,986 $2,986

$1,276 ₡572.1K

134.11%

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)

$5,302 $5,302

$1,029 ₡461.3K

415.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-42.00%

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

Last update for Upland, 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

Upland, CA

$1.8K 62.2%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 57% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Upland, CA

$299 10.5%

San Jose

$403 21% 35% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Upland, CA

$292 10.3%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 35.3% $103

Eating Out

Upland, CA

$253 8.9%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 9.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Upland, CA

$137 4.9%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 26.8% $37

Getting Around

Upland, CA

$66 * 2.3%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 22.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Upland, CA

$24 * 0.9%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 264% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,474 in Upland, 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 415% higher in Upland, 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 Upland, CA versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $299 in Upland, CA vs $403 in San Jose – so Upland, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Upland, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

14:49 2:49 PM

15:49 3:49 PM

1 h ahead of Upland, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,379

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 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

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

From you

Upland, 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

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

Yes – Upland, CA is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,255 per month in Upland, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Upland, CA and $62.0 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 $2,837 in Upland, CA and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 47%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Upland, CA at $2,837. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Upland, 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.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Upland, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.