Apartments for Rent in San Mateo Under $3,500
As of September 2, 2026, Rentomatics tracks 41 apartments for rent in San Mateo under $3,500/month, starting at $1,450/month. Listings are aggregated from Craigslist, Zumper, and other Bay Area sources and refreshed continuously.
San Mateo sits at the heart of the Peninsula in San Mateo County, roughly midway between San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Its downtown is anchored by a genuinely walkable stretch of B Street, lined with restaurants, cafes, and shops between 1st and 4th Avenues, with El Camino Real (State Route 82) forming the commercial spine that runs the length of the city. The Hillsdale Shopping Center to the south is a major regional retail hub, and the rebuilt Hillsdale Caltrain station beside it has spurred the transit-oriented Bay Meadows development on the former racetrack site. Central Park, with its Japanese Tea Garden, and the bayfront Coyote Point Recreation Area, home to the CuriOdyssey museum, give the city real green space. San Mateo also has a long-established Japanese-American community, reflected in its shops, restaurants, and cultural institutions. It is a mid-sized, residential city rather than a single neighborhood, with distinct districts ranging from the dense downtown to leafy single-family enclaves.
Capping your search at $3,500/month keeps San Mateo realistic. That's a comfortable ceiling here — above the current average of about $2,746, so you'll have real choice.
41 listings available — updated September 2, 2026, refreshed continuously
The Colegrove Apartments, 3633 Colegrove St #Na, San Mateo, CA 94403
$2,150/mo
420 N Bayshore Blvd, 420 N Bayshore Blvd #32, San Mateo, CA 94401
$2,225/mo
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Living in San Mateo
The vibe
The overall feel is established suburban Peninsula with a working downtown core that most surrounding cities lack. B Street and the blocks around it stay busy in the evenings, while neighborhoods like Baywood, San Mateo Park, and Aragon are quiet, tree-lined, and heavily residential. Central Park hosts community events and a small train, and the Japanese Tea Garden and Coyote Point add a distinctly local character. It reads as family-oriented and settled rather than trendy or nightlife-driven, though the newer Bay Meadows district brings a more modern, planned-community atmosphere near Hillsdale.
Getting around
Caltrain is the backbone, with three stops inside the city — San Mateo (downtown), Hayward Park, and the rebuilt Hillsdale station — putting both San Francisco and the South Bay within a direct rail ride, now on electrified service. There is no BART; the nearest station is Millbrae to the north, reachable via Caltrain or SamTrans buses. Highway 101 runs along the bay edge for driving north and south, while State Route 92 crosses the city and connects to the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge eastbound and Interstate 280 westbound toward the coast. SamTrans buses cover local routes and El Camino Real, and San Francisco International Airport is only a short drive north. Downtown and the Bay Meadows area are the most walkable; much of the rest of the city is car-oriented.
The rental market
The rental stock is mixed, dominated by mid-century and post-war garden apartment buildings along El Camino Real and in the North Central and Shoreview areas, which tend toward older finishes and fewer amenities. Newer, amenity-rich apartments cluster in the Bay Meadows development and around the Hillsdale station, offering in-unit laundry, gyms, and structured parking. Studios and one-bedrooms are most common downtown and near transit, while quieter neighborhoods like Baywood and Aragon skew toward single-family homes and larger family units. Pricing sits in the typical central-Peninsula range — high by national standards but often more moderate than neighboring Burlingame or the mid-Peninsula tech towns.
Who it's for
San Mateo suits renters who want a central Peninsula base with an actual downtown and a direct Caltrain line to jobs in either San Francisco or Silicon Valley, as well as families drawn to the residential neighborhoods and park access. Those prioritizing new construction and building amenities will gravitate to Bay Meadows and the Hillsdale corridor, while budget-conscious renters can find older apartments along El Camino Real. The tradeoffs: there is no BART, so trips outside the Caltrain corridor mean driving or transferring at Millbrae; Highway 101 and 92 traffic is heavy at peak hours; much of the housing stock is older and light on modern amenities; and while central, it carries full Peninsula-level costs.
Frequently asked
How many apartments are available in San Mateo right now?
As of September 2, 2026, Rentomatics tracks 41 apartments for rent in San Mateo under $3,500/month. Listings refresh continuously from Craigslist, Zumper, and other Bay Area sources.
What is the rent for a typical apartment in San Mateo?
Among current Rentomatics listings, apartments in San Mateo start at $1,450/month, with an average of $2,746 and a median of $2,795/month. Prices reflect 41 active listings updated September 2, 2026.
How often are Rentomatics listings updated?
Rentomatics continuously refreshes listings from Craigslist, Zumper, and other Bay Area rental sources. Stale listings are removed within 5 days of last sighting.
Does Rentomatics show broker fees?
Yes. Every Rentomatics listing displays whether a broker fee applies, and users can filter to show only no-fee apartments.
What is San Mateo like?
San Mateo is central Peninsula — a walkable B Street downtown, a Caltrain station, Hillsdale shopping center, and a big Japanese-American community. No BART. 1BRs typically run $2,800-$3,300.