Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashland, MA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $3,666 in Ashland, MA, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

177

Cost of Living Index in Ashland, MA
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Ashland, MA Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Ashland, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,666

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,666 per month in Ashland, MA vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Ashland, MA $3,666
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $4,760 per month in Ashland, MA vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Ashland, MA $4,760
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $5,853 per month in Ashland, MA vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Ashland, MA $5,853
San Jose $4,054

Ashland, MA costs about 74% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ashland, MA and San Jose sit above the global median – Ashland, MA by 171%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.95 $19.95

$12.37 ₡5,563

61.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 $74.3

$62.4 ₡28.0K

19.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 $12.89

$11.71 ₡5,264

10.08%

Cappuccino

$5.09 $5.09

$4.54 ₡2,040

12.11%

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

$2.87 $2.87

$2.75 ₡1,238

4.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.86 ₡837

36.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.35 ₡1,505

75.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.26 $8.26

$4.32 ₡1,944

91.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.36 ₡1,061

-57.20%

White Bread (500g)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.07 ₡1,379

48.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$16.38 $16.38

$2.51 ₡1,128

552.59%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$3.53 ₡1,585

72.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.81 $17.81

$10.54 ₡4,738

68.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.54 $10.54

$10.57 ₡4,754

-0.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.44 $19.44

$13.92 ₡6,261

39.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$5.20 ₡2,338

4.42%

Banana (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.65 ₡740

165.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$4.89 ₡2,198

-33.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.84 ₡1,728

-21.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$3.91 ₡1,757

-42.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.76 ₡1,692

-34.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.12 ₡504

145.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.22 ₡1,447

-8.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.39 $13.39

$6.02 ₡2,706

122.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.01 $17.01

$19.84 ₡8,919

-14.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.81 ₡1,264

-34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.65 ₡1,643

-24.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.26 ₡1,018

61.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.78 ₡799

24.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.19 $48.19

$7.90 ₡3,551

510.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.50 ₡673

-36.67%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-17.23%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-38.38%

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

$197 $197

$93.2 ₡41.9K

111.64%

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

$36.92 $36.92

$36.13 ₡16.2K

2.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.0 $61.0

$60.6 ₡27.2K

0.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.9 $74.9

$68.9 ₡31.0K

8.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.60 $45.60

$24.94 ₡11.2K

82.84%

Cinema Ticket

$12.60 $12.60

$7.67 ₡3,449

64.28%

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

$2,164 $2,164

$972 ₡436.9K

122.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.1K $35.1K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

85.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.44 $38.44

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-45.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.21 $16.21

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-71.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$129 ₡57.8K

-21.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.1 $99.1

$131 ₡58.8K

-24.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,082 $2,082

$1,170 ₡525.9K

78.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,317 $2,317

$943 ₡424.1K

145.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 $2,812

$1,984 ₡892.0K

41.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,843 $2,843

$1,400 ₡629.5K

103.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,942 $4,942

$2,681 ₡1.2M

84.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,270 $4,270

$2,037 ₡915.8K

109.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,146 $8,146

$987 ₡443.6K

725.61%

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 Ashland, MA: October 31, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ashland, MA

$2.3K 63.2%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 59.3% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Ashland, MA

$498 13.6%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 19.2% $95

Eating Out

Ashland, MA

$327 8.9%

San Jose

$232 11% 28.9% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashland, MA

$295 8.1%

San Jose

$190 9% 35.7% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Ashland, MA

$114 3.1%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 52.2% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Ashland, MA

$100 2.7%

San Jose

$84 4% 15.8% $16

Getting Around

Ashland, MA

$15 * 0.4%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 449% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,082 in Ashland, MA versus $1,170 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 in Ashland, MA are about 8.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Ashland, MA versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $498 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ashland, MA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

09:19 9:19 AM

08:19 8:19 AM

1 h behind Ashland, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,684

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

Ashland, MA San Jose 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ashland, MA
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

Ashland, MA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashland, MA costs about 74% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,499 per month in Ashland, MA and $3,161 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $2,082 in Ashland, MA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,666 in Ashland, MA and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 43% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,164 per month in Ashland, MA and $972 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 $2,107, than in Ashland, MA at $3,666. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ashland, MA 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ashland, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.