Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bismarck, ND and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,403 in Bismarck, ND, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Bismarck, ND
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Bismarck, ND Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Bismarck, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,403

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,403 in Bismarck, ND versus $1,924 in San Jose.

Bismarck, ND $2,403
San Jose $1,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,341 in Bismarck, ND versus $2,926 in San Jose.

Bismarck, ND $3,341
San Jose $2,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,278 in Bismarck, ND versus $3,929 in San Jose.

Bismarck, ND $4,278
San Jose $3,929

Living in Bismarck, ND is roughly 25% 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: Bismarck, ND 77% above, San Jose 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.19 $30.19

$12.29 ₡5,513

145.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 $69.8

$62.3 ₡27.9K

12.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.41 $17.41

$11.53 ₡5,171

51.00%

Cappuccino

$6.22 $6.22

$4.35 ₡1,953

42.99%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$2.64 ₡1,183

-5.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.86 ₡836

1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 $5.55

$3.32 ₡1,490

67.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.52 ₡2,026

54.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.39 ₡1,073

-56.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.08 ₡1,381

-12.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.50 ₡1,119

-16.80%

Eggs

$2.73 $2.73

$3.48 ₡1,562

-21.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$10.74 ₡4,815

-28.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.21 $13.21

$10.32 ₡4,629

28.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 $15.90

$14.10 ₡6,325

12.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$5.03 ₡2,256

-31.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.59 ₡714

8.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$4.84 ₡2,171

-38.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$3.96 ₡1,776

7.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$3.76 ₡1,684

-49.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.73 ₡1,674

-24.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.08 ₡485

102.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.25 ₡1,456

-17.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.74 $8.74

$5.86 ₡2,627

49.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.97 $19.97

$20.28 ₡9,095

-1.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.90 ₡1,300

-34.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.73 ₡1,673

8.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.58 ₡709

-38.61%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-21.11%

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

$22.5K $22.5K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-45.99%

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

$208 $208

$93.7 ₡42.0K

122.33%

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

$71.8 $71.8

$35.42 ₡15.9K

102.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.1 $82.1

$60.0 ₡26.9K

36.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 $41.78

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-42.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$10.89 $10.89

$7.74 ₡3,471

40.70%

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

$804 $804

$1,005 ₡450.9K

-20.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 $65.1

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-10.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 $95.2

$128 ₡57.5K

-25.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 $81.2

$130 ₡58.5K

-37.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 $1,171

$932 ₡418.0K

25.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 $1,077

$760 ₡340.8K

41.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 $1,628

$1,922 ₡862.0K

-15.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,428 $1,428

$1,276 ₡572.1K

11.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 $2,226

$2,301 ₡1.0M

-3.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,054 $2,054

$1,833 ₡821.9K

12.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,393 $4,393

$1,029 ₡461.3K

327.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

8.62

-20.65%

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

Last update for Bismarck, ND: October 18, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bismarck, ND

$1.1K 44.8%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 29.4% $317

Eating Out

Bismarck, ND

$428 17.8%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 46.5% $199

Groceries & Markets

Bismarck, ND

$364 15.2%

San Jose

$403 21% 10.7% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bismarck, ND

$362 15.1%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 47.8% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Bismarck, ND

$109 * 4.5%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 60.3% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Bismarck, ND

$64 2.7%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 38.6% $25

Getting Around

Bismarck, ND

- * 0%

San Jose

$80 4.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,171 in Bismarck, ND and $932 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bismarck, ND pays 327% 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: $70.0 in Bismarck, ND vs $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $364 vs $403, with Bismarck, ND cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bismarck, ND

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

03:45 3:45 AM

02:45 2:45 AM

1 h behind Bismarck, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,333

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Bismarck, ND San Jose 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bismarck, ND
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

Bismarck, ND vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bismarck, ND and San Jose differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,403 vs $1,924 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 327% higher in Bismarck, ND, 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: $1,171 in Bismarck, ND versus $932 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $804 in Bismarck, ND versus $1,005 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $70.0 in Bismarck, ND. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,403 in Bismarck, ND, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Bismarck, ND. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Bismarck, ND and San Jose are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Bismarck, ND. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.