Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Augusta, GA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,191 in Augusta, GA, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Augusta, GA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

104

Cost of Living Index in Augusta, GA
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Augusta, GA Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Augusta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,191

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,191 in Augusta, GA versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Augusta, GA $2,191
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,117 in Augusta, GA versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Augusta, GA $3,117
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,044 in Augusta, GA versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Augusta, GA $4,044
San Jose $4,054

Living in Augusta, GA is roughly 4% 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: Augusta, GA 62% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.21 $18.21

$12.37 ₡5,563

47.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.1 $98.1

$62.4 ₡28.0K

57.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 $9.23

$11.71 ₡5,264

-21.18%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$4.54 ₡2,040

45.15%

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

$2.80 $2.80

$2.75 ₡1,238

1.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.86 ₡837

-11.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.35 ₡1,505

55.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 $8.19

$4.32 ₡1,944

89.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$2.36 ₡1,061

-65.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.07 ₡1,379

-28.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.51 ₡1,128

61.75%

Eggs

$3.96 $3.96

$3.53 ₡1,585

12.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$10.54 ₡4,738

7.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 $8.77

$10.57 ₡4,754

-17.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 $14.13

$13.92 ₡6,261

1.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$5.20 ₡2,338

-16.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.65 ₡740

-24.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$4.89 ₡2,198

-26.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.84 ₡1,728

-34.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.91 ₡1,757

-55.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.76 ₡1,692

-19.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.12 ₡504

72.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$3.22 ₡1,447

-27.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.60 $8.60

$6.02 ₡2,706

42.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 $9.71

$19.84 ₡8,919

-51.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.81 ₡1,264

-37.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.65 ₡1,643

37.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.08 ₡487

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 $45.05

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-30.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.26 ₡1,018

-10.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.78 ₡799

-28.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.50 ₡673

-32.67%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-15.25%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-37.05%

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

$152 $152

$93.2 ₡41.9K

63.43%

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

$59.2 $59.2

$36.13 ₡16.2K

63.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.3 $93.3

$60.6 ₡27.2K

54.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.27 $17.27

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-74.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$7.67 ₡3,449

97.00%

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

$929 $929

$972 ₡436.9K

-4.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K $16.8K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-10.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.87 $49.87

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-29.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.97 $38.97

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-31.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 $74.2

$129 ₡57.8K

-42.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.2 $76.2

$131 ₡58.8K

-41.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 $1,422

$1,170 ₡525.9K

21.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 $1,035

$943 ₡424.1K

9.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 $1,870

$1,984 ₡892.0K

-5.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 $1,358

$1,400 ₡629.5K

-2.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 $1,912

$2,681 ₡1.2M

-28.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,496 $1,496

$2,037 ₡915.8K

-26.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,448 $3,448

$987 ₡443.6K

249.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

8.62

-22.27%

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

Last update for Augusta, GA: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Augusta, GA

$1K 47.2%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 8.9% $92

Groceries & Markets

Augusta, GA

$324 14.8%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 24.2% $78

Eating Out

Augusta, GA

$313 14.3%

San Jose

$232 11% 25.7% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Augusta, GA

$305 13.9%

San Jose

$190 9% 37.7% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Augusta, GA

$108 4.9%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 61.7% $66

Getting Around

Augusta, GA

$59 2.7%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 37.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Augusta, GA

$48 2.2%

San Jose

$84 4% 77.4% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,422 in Augusta, GA and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Augusta, GA pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $98 in Augusta, GA vs $62 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $403, with Augusta, GA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Augusta, GA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

03:10 3:10 AM

1 h behind Augusta, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

194,343

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

Augusta, GA San Jose 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Augusta, GA
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

Augusta, GA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 4% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Augusta, GA is about 3.5 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: $1,422 in Augusta, GA versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62 versus $98 in Augusta, GA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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