Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,949 in San Jose.

Austin, TX $2,704
San Jose $1,949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,903 in San Jose.

Austin, TX $4,133
San Jose $2,903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,857 in San Jose.

Austin, TX $5,562
San Jose $3,857

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 39% 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: Austin, TX 102% above, San Jose 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$12.22 ₡5,510

65.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$60.1 ₡27.1K

41.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$11.77 ₡5,305

4.93%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.30 ₡1,939

27.21%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.72 ₡1,226

40.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.84 ₡830

35.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.28 ₡1,480

145.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.36 ₡1,966

106.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.38 ₡1,074

-52.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.12 ₡1,408

21.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.41 ₡1,086

34.85%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.47 ₡1,564

19.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$10.57 ₡4,767

23.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$10.56 ₡4,758

35.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$13.75 ₡6,196

16.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$5.04 ₡2,274

-13.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.61 ₡727

-9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.59 ₡2,069

-1.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.84 ₡1,731

9.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.77 ₡1,700

-30.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.76 ₡1,693

-37.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.12 ₡506

57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.20 ₡1,441

-32.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$5.84 ₡2,632

67.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$19.73 ₡8,897

-25.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.75 ₡1,240

1.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.66 ₡1,650

-4.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.12 ₡503

33.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-37.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.46 ₡1,110

8.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.54 ₡692

2.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$8.46 ₡3,815

317.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.55 ₡699

-36.13%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

64.98%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-22.08%

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

$219 $219

$94.7 ₡42.7K

131.59%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$35.11 ₡15.8K

65.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$58.6 ₡26.4K

16.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-19.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-41.17%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$7.83 ₡3,532

80.46%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$971 ₡437.9K

55.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

26.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-27.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-19.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$129 ₡58.2K

-34.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$133 ₡60.0K

-20.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$934 ₡420.9K

106.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$770 ₡347.2K

65.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,945 ₡876.7K

88.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,316 ₡593.5K

91.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,277 ₡1.0M

234.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,795 ₡809.1K

78.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,006 ₡453.5K

407.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.62

-21.23%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 39.5% $502

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 1% $3.9

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 34.5% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 45.5% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 35.8% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 1.9% $1.7

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 39.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $934 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 407% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $60.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $399 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

21:52 9:52 PM

20:52 8:52 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX San Jose 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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

Austin, TX vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Austin, TX. 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 runs 407% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $934 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,949 in San Jose – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Jose runs roughly 61% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,949 in San Jose versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,949 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.