Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellevue, NE and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,275 in Bellevue, NE, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Bellevue, NE
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Bellevue, NE Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Bellevue, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,275

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,275 per month in Bellevue, NE vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Bellevue, NE $2,275
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $3,435 per month in Bellevue, NE vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Bellevue, NE $3,435
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $4,596 per month in Bellevue, NE vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Bellevue, NE $4,596
San Jose $3,934

Bellevue, NE costs about 17% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bellevue, NE and San Jose sit above the global median – Bellevue, NE by 69%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.19 $20.19

$12.38 ₡5,551

63.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.2 $77.2

$60.9 ₡27.3K

26.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 $12.08

$11.45 ₡5,135

5.50%

Cappuccino

$5.94 $5.94

$4.39 ₡1,967

35.31%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$2.70 ₡1,211

-7.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.93 ₡864

-2.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

$3.20 ₡1,433

90.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.66 $7.66

$4.41 ₡1,979

73.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.44 ₡1,093

-64.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 $3.19

$3.05 ₡1,369

4.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.41 ₡1,081

85.06%

Eggs

$4.24 $4.24

$3.40 ₡1,523

24.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$10.75 ₡4,823

5.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$10.43 ₡4,679

-4.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.54 $15.54

$13.99 ₡6,273

11.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.25 ₡2,353

-13.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.59 ₡712

-2.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.69 ₡2,103

-6.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.95 ₡1,770

9.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$3.92 ₡1,760

-51.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.68 ₡1,651

-19.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.12 ₡503

114.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.19 ₡1,429

-22.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.00 ₡2,692

34.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.53 $15.53

$19.56 ₡8,771

-20.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.82 ₡1,263

-29.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 $5.60

$3.59 ₡1,611

55.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.12 ₡503

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.8 $78.8

$66.8 ₡30.0K

18.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.50 ₡1,119

20.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.63 ₡733

-17.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.45 $25.45

$8.50 ₡3,812

199.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.56 ₡701

-34.62%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

55.24%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-23.75%

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

$202 $202

$95.2 ₡42.7K

111.89%

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

$65.1 $65.1

$35.58 ₡16.0K

82.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 $72.2

$58.6 ₡26.3K

23.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.16 $42.16

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-41.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.14 $40.14

$24.85 ₡11.1K

61.53%

Cinema Ticket

$14.83 $14.83

$7.58 ₡3,401

95.65%

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

$971 $971

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-3.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K $19.4K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

13.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 $59.6

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-15.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.97 $43.97

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-21.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 $98.3

$130 ₡58.2K

-24.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$131 ₡58.7K

-6.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 $1,121

$927 ₡415.8K

20.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$909 $909

$774 ₡347.2K

17.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,859 $1,859

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-5.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 $1,567

$1,288 ₡577.6K

21.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,804 $2,804

$2,274 ₡1.0M

23.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,440 $2,440

$1,831 ₡821.0K

33.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,084 $5,084

$1,016 ₡455.8K

400.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for Bellevue, NE: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bellevue, NE

$909 40%

San Jose

$774 40% 14.8% $135

Groceries & Markets

Bellevue, NE

$380 16.7%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 5.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bellevue, NE

$339 14.9%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 44.1% $150

Eating Out

Bellevue, NE

$332 14.6%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 31% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Bellevue, NE

$146 6.4%

San Jose

$174 9% 19.1% $28

Getting Around

Bellevue, NE

$96 4.2%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 15% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Bellevue, NE

$72 3.2%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 22.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,121 in Bellevue, NE versus $927 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 run about 400% higher in Bellevue, NE, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Bellevue, NE versus $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $380 in Bellevue, NE vs $401 in San Jose – so Bellevue, NE wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bellevue, NE

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

10:04 10:04 AM

09:04 9:04 AM

1 h behind Bellevue, NE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

151,854

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bellevue, NE San Jose 3,660 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Bellevue, NE
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

Bellevue, NE vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,275 in Bellevue, NE, $1,938 in San Jose – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,412 per month in Bellevue, NE and $2,907 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Bellevue, NE and $61.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,275 in Bellevue, NE and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 17%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Bellevue, NE at $2,275. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bellevue, NE it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,938 in San Jose to $2,275 in Bellevue, NE. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bellevue, NE makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.