Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Akron, OH and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,217 in Akron, OH, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Akron, OH
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Akron, OH Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Akron, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,217

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Akron, OH versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Akron, OH $2,217
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,404 in Akron, OH versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Akron, OH $3,404
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,591 in Akron, OH versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Akron, OH $4,591
San Jose $4,054

Living in Akron, OH is roughly 5% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Akron, OH 64% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.98 $16.98

$12.37 ₡5,563

37.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 $74.4

$62.4 ₡28.0K

19.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.71 ₡5,264

-13.75%

Cappuccino

$3.83 $3.83

$4.54 ₡2,040

-15.64%

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

$2.09 $2.09

$2.75 ₡1,238

-24.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.86 ₡837

-11.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.35 ₡1,505

51.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 $4.93

$4.32 ₡1,944

14.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$2.36 ₡1,061

-63.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.07 ₡1,379

-19.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.18 $7.18

$2.51 ₡1,128

186.06%

Eggs

$4.80 $4.80

$3.53 ₡1,585

35.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.26 $15.26

$10.54 ₡4,738

44.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 $11.64

$10.57 ₡4,754

10.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.09 $19.09

$13.92 ₡6,261

37.14%

Apples (1kg)

$7.23 $7.23

$5.20 ₡2,338

39.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.65 ₡740

-6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$4.89 ₡2,198

54.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$3.84 ₡1,728

71.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.91 ₡1,757

1.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.76 ₡1,692

1.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.12 ₡504

122.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.22 ₡1,447

-38.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.72 $9.72

$6.02 ₡2,706

61.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 $14.75

$19.84 ₡8,919

-25.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.81 ₡1,264

-37.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 $5.16

$3.65 ₡1,643

41.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.08 ₡487

12.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.6 $50.6

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-22.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.26 ₡1,018

127.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.78 ₡799

0.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.50 ₡673

-30.00%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-16.25%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-35.77%

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

$246 $246

$93.2 ₡41.9K

164.44%

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

$40.58 $40.58

$36.13 ₡16.2K

12.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.8 $78.8

$60.6 ₡27.2K

30.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.01 $44.01

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-36.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 $17.61

$24.94 ₡11.2K

-29.39%

Cinema Ticket

$12.67 $12.67

$7.67 ₡3,449

65.19%

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

$1,065 $1,065

$972 ₡436.9K

9.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K $14.8K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-21.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 $53.7

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-23.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.2 $64.2

$56.7 ₡25.5K

13.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$129 ₡57.8K

-19.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$131 ₡58.8K

-4.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$987 $987

$1,170 ₡525.9K

-15.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 $841

$943 ₡424.1K

-10.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 $1,581

$1,984 ₡892.0K

-20.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 $1,591

$1,400 ₡629.5K

13.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,435 $1,435

$2,681 ₡1.2M

-46.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,232 $1,232

$2,037 ₡915.8K

-39.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,325 $3,325

$987 ₡443.6K

237.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

8.62

-29.47%

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

Last update for Akron, OH: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Akron, OH

$841 37.9%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 12.1% $102

Groceries & Markets

Akron, OH

$453 20.4%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 11.1% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Akron, OH

$366 16.5%

San Jose

$190 9% 48.1% $176

Eating Out

Akron, OH

$262 11.8%

San Jose

$232 11% 11.5% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Akron, OH

$156 7%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 11.7% $18

Getting Around

Akron, OH

$70 3.1%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 16.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Akron, OH

$69 3.1%

San Jose

$84 4% 21.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $987 in Akron, OH and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Akron, OH pays about 3.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $74 in Akron, OH vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $453 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Akron, OH

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

13:05 1:05 PM

12:05 12:05 PM

1 h behind Akron, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

197,542

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Akron, OH San Jose 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Akron, OH
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

Akron, OH vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,217 in Akron, OH and $2,107 in San Jose, so San Jose is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Akron, OH is about 3.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $987 in Akron, OH versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,217 per month in Akron, OH versus $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Akron, OH runs roughly 23% less than in San Jose. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though San Jose gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Akron, OH on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.