Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vacaville, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $3,619 in Vacaville, CA, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

178

Cost of Living Index in Vacaville, CA
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Vacaville, CA Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Vacaville, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,619

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,619 per month in Vacaville, CA vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Vacaville, CA $3,619
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $4,782 per month in Vacaville, CA vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Vacaville, CA $4,782
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $5,945 per month in Vacaville, CA vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Vacaville, CA $5,945
San Jose $3,934

Vacaville, CA costs about 87% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Vacaville, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Vacaville, CA by 168%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.87 $19.87

$12.38 ₡5,568

60.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.43 $45.43

$60.9 ₡27.4K

-25.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 $13.17

$11.45 ₡5,151

15.02%

Cappuccino

$6.09 $6.09

$4.39 ₡1,973

38.72%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$2.70 ₡1,215

14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.93 ₡866

36.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.20 ₡1,438

113.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 $7.17

$4.41 ₡1,985

62.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.44 ₡1,096

-26.64%

White Bread (500g)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.05 ₡1,373

66.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.41 ₡1,084

104.15%

Eggs

$4.79 $4.79

$3.40 ₡1,528

40.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.16 $16.16

$10.75 ₡4,838

50.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.48 $15.48

$10.43 ₡4,694

48.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.36 $22.36

$13.99 ₡6,293

59.83%

Apples (1kg)

$6.24 $6.24

$5.25 ₡2,360

18.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.59 ₡714

20.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$4.69 ₡2,109

-13.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.77 $6.77

$3.95 ₡1,776

71.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.92 ₡1,765

-26.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$3.68 ₡1,657

2.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.12 ₡504

158.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.19 ₡1,434

-16.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.89 $11.89

$6.00 ₡2,700

98.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.22 $14.22

$19.56 ₡8,798

-27.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.82 ₡1,267

14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.59 ₡1,616

3.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.21 $4.21

$2.50 ₡1,123

68.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.63 ₡735

23.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.71 $39.71

$8.50 ₡3,823

367.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.56 ₡703

-0.64%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$22.4K ₡10.1M

65.36%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-28.82%

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

$218 $218

$95.2 ₡42.8K

128.70%

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

$62.2 $62.2

$35.58 ₡16.0K

74.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 $77.2

$58.6 ₡26.4K

31.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.84 $44.84

$72.7 ₡32.7K

-38.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$18.13 $18.13

$7.58 ₡3,412

139.18%

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

$2,988 $2,988

$1,001 ₡450.4K

198.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.3K $43.3K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

152.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 $74.7

$70.5 ₡31.7K

5.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.30 $48.30

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-13.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 $99.6

$130 ₡58.4K

-23.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$131 ₡58.8K

4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,338 $2,338

$927 ₡417.1K

152.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,157 $2,157

$774 ₡348.3K

178.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,881 $2,881

$1,967 ₡884.7K

46.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,899 $2,899

$1,288 ₡579.4K

125.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,714 $3,714

$2,274 ₡1.0M

63.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡823.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,189 $5,189

$1,016 ₡457.2K

410.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

8.62

-21.58%

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

Last update for Vacaville, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vacaville, CA

$2.2K 59.6%

San Jose

$774 40% 64.1% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Vacaville, CA

$505 14%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 20.6% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vacaville, CA

$357 9.9%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 47% $168

Eating Out

Vacaville, CA

$343 9.5%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 33.1% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Vacaville, CA

$162 4.5%

San Jose

$174 9% 7.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Vacaville, CA

$81 2.2%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 8.3% $6.8

Getting Around

Vacaville, CA

$14 * 0.4%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 473% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,338 in Vacaville, 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 411% higher in Vacaville, 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 $45.00 in Vacaville, CA versus $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $505 in Vacaville, CA vs $401 in San Jose – so San Jose wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Vacaville, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

1 h ahead of Vacaville, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,670

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vacaville, CA San Jose 4,920 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Vacaville, 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

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

Yes – Vacaville, CA is pricier by about 87%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,429 per month in Vacaville, 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,619 in Vacaville, CA and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 87%.

Kindergarten costs $2,988 per month in Vacaville, CA and $1,001 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 $1,938, than in Vacaville, CA at $3,619. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vacaville, 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, Vacaville, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.