Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vallejo, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,848 in Vallejo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Vallejo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,848

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,848 per month in Vallejo, CA vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Vallejo, CA $2,848
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $4,661 per month in Vallejo, CA vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Vallejo, CA $4,661
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $6,474 per month in Vallejo, CA vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Vallejo, CA $6,474
San Jose $3,934

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

Both Vallejo, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Vallejo, CA by 111%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.53 $27.53

$12.38 ₡5,568

122.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 $89.6

$60.9 ₡27.4K

47.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.06 $12.06

$11.45 ₡5,151

5.33%

Cappuccino

$4.82 $4.82

$4.39 ₡1,973

9.79%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$2.70 ₡1,215

-0.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.93 ₡866

44.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 $7.99

$3.20 ₡1,438

149.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.16 $9.16

$4.41 ₡1,985

107.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.44 ₡1,096

-41.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.05 ₡1,373

48.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.41 ₡1,084

61.41%

Eggs

$5.11 $5.11

$3.40 ₡1,528

50.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.48 $19.48

$10.75 ₡4,838

81.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$10.43 ₡4,694

34.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.38 $14.38

$13.99 ₡6,293

2.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$5.25 ₡2,360

-14.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.59 ₡714

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$4.69 ₡2,109

11.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$3.95 ₡1,776

68.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.92 ₡1,765

-0.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.68 ₡1,657

-3.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.12 ₡504

174.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.19 ₡1,434

-36.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$6.00 ₡2,700

67.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 $10.17

$19.56 ₡8,798

-48.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.82 ₡1,267

-37.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.59 ₡1,616

-42.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.89 $4.89

$1.12 ₡504

336.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.4 $71.4

$66.8 ₡30.0K

6.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.50 ₡1,123

63.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.63 ₡735

14.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.58 $27.58

$8.50 ₡3,823

224.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.56 ₡703

-11.54%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$22.4K ₡10.1M

61.05%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-29.36%

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

$139 $139

$95.2 ₡42.8K

45.82%

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

$47.91 $47.91

$35.58 ₡16.0K

34.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.5 $73.5

$58.6 ₡26.4K

25.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.65 $37.65

$72.7 ₡32.7K

-48.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.79 $10.79

$24.85 ₡11.2K

-56.58%

Cinema Ticket

$12.76 $12.76

$7.58 ₡3,412

68.34%

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

$707 $707

$1,001 ₡450.4K

-29.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,878 $7,878

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-54.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.05 $42.05

$70.5 ₡31.7K

-40.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.42 $36.42

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-34.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 $85.7

$130 ₡58.4K

-33.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 $78.7

$131 ₡58.8K

-39.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 $1,654

$927 ₡417.1K

78.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 $1,471

$774 ₡348.3K

90.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,167 $3,167

$1,967 ₡884.7K

61.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,279 $3,279

$1,288 ₡579.4K

154.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,690 $3,690

$2,274 ₡1.0M

62.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 $3,838

$1,831 ₡823.5K

109.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 $4,257

$1,016 ₡457.2K

318.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

8.62

-25.06%

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

Last update for Vallejo, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vallejo, CA

$1.5K 51.7%

San Jose

$774 40% 47.4% $697

Groceries & Markets

Vallejo, CA

$445 15.6%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 10% $44

Eating Out

Vallejo, CA

$394 13.9%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 41.9% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vallejo, CA

$260 9.1%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 27.2% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Vallejo, CA

$109 3.8%

San Jose

$174 9% 59.3% $65

Getting Around

Vallejo, CA

$104 3.7%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 21.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Vallejo, CA

$63 2.2%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 39.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,654 in Vallejo, 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 319% higher in Vallejo, 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 $90.0 in Vallejo, CA versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $445 vs $401 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Vallejo, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

1 h ahead of Vallejo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

121,692

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

Vallejo, CA San Jose 4,930 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Vallejo, 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

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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,272 per month in Vallejo, 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 $90.0 in Vallejo, 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 $2,848 in Vallejo, CA and $1,938 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 $1,938, than in Vallejo, CA at $2,848. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vallejo, 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, Vallejo, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.