Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bentonville, AR and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,367 in Bentonville, AR, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bentonville, AR outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

116

Cost of Living Index in Bentonville, AR
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Bentonville, AR Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Bentonville, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,367

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,367 per month in Bentonville, AR vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Bentonville, AR $2,367
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $3,451 per month in Bentonville, AR vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Bentonville, AR $3,451
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $4,535 per month in Bentonville, AR vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Bentonville, AR $4,535
San Jose $3,934

Bentonville, AR costs about 22% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bentonville, AR and San Jose sit above the global median – Bentonville, AR by 75%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.14 $20.14

$12.38 ₡5,551

62.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 $59.8

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-1.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.42 $12.42

$11.45 ₡5,135

8.47%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$4.39 ₡1,967

23.69%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$2.70 ₡1,211

-5.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.93 ₡864

-6.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 $6.64

$3.20 ₡1,433

107.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 $7.43

$4.41 ₡1,979

68.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.44 ₡1,093

-57.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.05 ₡1,369

-8.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$2.41 ₡1,081

77.59%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$3.40 ₡1,523

18.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.38 $9.38

$10.75 ₡4,823

-12.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 $9.87

$10.43 ₡4,679

-5.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 $13.54

$13.99 ₡6,273

-3.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$5.25 ₡2,353

-23.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.59 ₡712

-18.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.69 ₡2,103

-34.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.95 ₡1,770

-36.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.92 ₡1,760

-55.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.68 ₡1,651

-41.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.12 ₡503

68.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.19 ₡1,429

-31.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.95 $7.95

$6.00 ₡2,692

32.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.20 $12.20

$19.56 ₡8,771

-37.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.82 ₡1,263

-36.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.59 ₡1,611

-14.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.50 ₡1,119

1.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.63 ₡733

-22.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.0 $59.0

$8.50 ₡3,812

594.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.56 ₡701

-46.15%

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

$31.4K $31.4K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

39.92%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-29.29%

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

$187 $187

$95.2 ₡42.7K

96.67%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$35.58 ₡16.0K

46.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 $63.8

$58.6 ₡26.3K

8.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.06 $22.06

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-69.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.11 $5.11

$24.85 ₡11.1K

-79.44%

Cinema Ticket

$15.20 $15.20

$7.58 ₡3,401

100.53%

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

$1,196 $1,196

$1,001 ₡449.0K

19.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K $21.4K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

24.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.44 $46.44

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-34.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.86 $38.86

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-30.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 $65.6

$130 ₡58.2K

-49.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 $77.3

$131 ₡58.7K

-40.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 $1,668

$927 ₡415.8K

79.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 $1,245

$774 ₡347.2K

60.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,047 $3,047

$1,967 ₡882.0K

54.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,120 $2,120

$1,288 ₡577.6K

64.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 $3,936

$2,274 ₡1.0M

73.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,390 $2,390

$1,831 ₡821.0K

30.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,644 $5,644

$1,016 ₡455.8K

455.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

8.62

-23.90%

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

Last update for Bentonville, AR: 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

Bentonville, AR

$1.2K 52.6%

San Jose

$774 40% 37.8% $471

Eating Out

Bentonville, AR

$329 13.9%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 30.3% $100

Groceries & Markets

Bentonville, AR

$325 13.8%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 23.3% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bentonville, AR

$303 12.8%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 37.5% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Bentonville, AR

$103 4.3%

San Jose

$174 9% 69.5% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Bentonville, AR

$52 2.2%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 67.4% $35

Getting Around

Bentonville, AR

$8.8 * 0.4%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 827% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Bentonville, AR 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 455% higher in Bentonville, AR, 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 $60.0 in Bentonville, AR versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $401 – making Bentonville, AR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bentonville, AR

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

12:46 12:46 PM

11:46 11:46 AM

1 h behind Bentonville, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,164

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bentonville, AR San Jose 3,110 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bentonville, AR
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

Bentonville, AR vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,367 in Bentonville, AR, $1,938 in San Jose – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,550 per month in Bentonville, AR 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,367 in Bentonville, AR and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 22%.

Kindergarten costs $1,196 per month in Bentonville, AR and $1,001 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 $1,938, than in Bentonville, AR at $2,367. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bentonville, AR 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 $2,367 in Bentonville, AR. 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, Bentonville, AR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.