Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Artesia, NM and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,398 in Artesia, NM, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Artesia, NM outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

114

Cost of Living Index in Artesia, NM
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Artesia, NM Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Artesia, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,398

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,398 in Artesia, NM versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Artesia, NM $2,398
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,235 in Artesia, NM versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Artesia, NM $3,235
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,071 in Artesia, NM versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Artesia, NM $4,071
San Jose $4,054

Living in Artesia, NM is roughly 14% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Artesia, NM 77% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.23 $16.23

$12.37 ₡5,563

31.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.57 $47.57

$62.4 ₡28.0K

-23.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 $11.84

$11.71 ₡5,264

1.11%

Cappuccino

$6.24 $6.24

$4.54 ₡2,040

37.44%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$2.75 ₡1,238

-15.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.86 ₡837

-14.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.35 ₡1,505

80.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.32 ₡1,944

61.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$2.36 ₡1,061

-65.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.07 ₡1,379

-6.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.51 ₡1,128

-1.59%

Eggs

$3.40 $3.40

$3.53 ₡1,585

-3.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 $11.83

$10.54 ₡4,738

12.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 $11.56

$10.57 ₡4,754

9.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 $12.92

$13.92 ₡6,261

-7.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$5.20 ₡2,338

-32.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.65 ₡740

-14.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$4.89 ₡2,198

-48.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.84 ₡1,728

-6.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.91 ₡1,757

-44.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.76 ₡1,692

-27.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.12 ₡504

58.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.22 ₡1,447

-49.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.91 $9.91

$6.02 ₡2,706

64.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 $9.34

$19.84 ₡8,919

-52.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.81 ₡1,264

-25.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 $4.87

$3.65 ₡1,643

33.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.08 ₡487

71.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.9 $58.9

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-9.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.26 ₡1,018

-24.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.78 ₡799

-23.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.83 $26.83

$7.90 ₡3,551

239.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.50 ₡673

-36.00%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-19.40%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-39.23%

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

$147 $147

$93.2 ₡41.9K

58.01%

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

$72.1 $72.1

$36.13 ₡16.2K

99.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 $66.9

$60.6 ₡27.2K

10.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.20 $40.20

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-41.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.79 $7.79

$7.67 ₡3,449

1.56%

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

$696 $696

$972 ₡436.9K

-28.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-36.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.18 $37.18

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-47.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.45 $36.45

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-35.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 $85.4

$129 ₡57.8K

-33.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 $81.4

$131 ₡58.8K

-37.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,518 $1,518

$1,170 ₡525.9K

29.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 $1,249

$943 ₡424.1K

32.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 $2,107

$1,984 ₡892.0K

6.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 $1,623

$1,400 ₡629.5K

15.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,838 $2,838

$2,681 ₡1.2M

5.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,361 $2,361

$2,037 ₡915.8K

15.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,513 $3,513

$987 ₡443.6K

256.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

8.62

-24.48%

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

Last update for Artesia, NM: 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

Artesia, NM

$1.2K 52.1%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 24.5% $306

Groceries & Markets

Artesia, NM

$324 13.5%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 24.2% $78

Eating Out

Artesia, NM

$300 12.5%

San Jose

$232 11% 22.6% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Artesia, NM

$286 11.9%

San Jose

$190 9% 33.6% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Artesia, NM

$108 4.5%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 60.8% $66

Getting Around

Artesia, NM

$75 3.1%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 8% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Artesia, NM

$56 2.3%

San Jose

$84 4% 51.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,518 in Artesia, NM and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Artesia, NM pays about 3.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Artesia, NM vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $403 per month, with Artesia, NM cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Artesia, NM

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

08:39 8:39 AM

1 h ahead of Artesia, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,522

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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Highest

Between locations

Artesia, NM San Jose 3,290 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Artesia, NM
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

Artesia, NM vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Artesia, NM. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Artesia, NM is about 3.6 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: $1,518 in Artesia, NM versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Artesia, NM versus $972 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Artesia, NM pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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, Artesia, NM on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.