Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brevard, NC and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,593 in Brevard, NC, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Brevard, NC
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Brevard, NC Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Brevard, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,593

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,593 per month in Brevard, NC vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Brevard, NC $2,593
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,837 per month in Brevard, NC vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Brevard, NC $3,837
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $5,081 per month in Brevard, NC vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Brevard, NC $5,081
San Jose $4,054

Brevard, NC costs about 23% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brevard, NC and San Jose sit above the global median – Brevard, NC by 92%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.76 $17.76

$12.37 ₡5,563

43.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 $76.2

$62.4 ₡28.0K

22.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 $10.97

$11.71 ₡5,264

-6.32%

Cappuccino

$5.85 $5.85

$4.54 ₡2,040

28.85%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$2.75 ₡1,238

2.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.86 ₡837

22.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 $6.09

$3.35 ₡1,505

81.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.54 $7.54

$4.32 ₡1,944

74.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.36 ₡1,061

-60.17%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.07 ₡1,379

30.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.51 ₡1,128

33.86%

Eggs

$4.26 $4.26

$3.53 ₡1,585

20.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$10.54 ₡4,738

54.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.89 $15.89

$10.57 ₡4,754

50.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.93 $17.93

$13.92 ₡6,261

28.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$5.20 ₡2,338

4.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.65 ₡740

-13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$4.89 ₡2,198

-2.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.84 ₡1,728

21.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.91 ₡1,757

-4.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$3.76 ₡1,692

-15.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.12 ₡504

82.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$3.22 ₡1,447

-27.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.98 $8.98

$6.02 ₡2,706

49.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.68 $15.68

$19.84 ₡8,919

-20.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.81 ₡1,264

-14.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$3.65 ₡1,643

-0.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.08 ₡487

75.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.8 $63.8

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-2.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.26 ₡1,018

51.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.78 ₡799

19.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.35 $30.35

$7.90 ₡3,551

284.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.50 ₡673

-32.67%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

2.67%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-39.18%

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

$120 $120

$93.2 ₡41.9K

28.94%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$36.13 ₡16.2K

89.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.7 $80.7

$60.6 ₡27.2K

33.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.07 $42.07

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-38.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$15.89 $15.89

$7.67 ₡3,449

107.17%

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

$1,494 $1,494

$972 ₡436.9K

53.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

64.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 $50.6

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-28.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.22 $37.22

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-34.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 $94.2

$129 ₡57.8K

-26.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$131 ₡58.8K

7.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 $1,591

$1,170 ₡525.9K

36.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 $1,264

$943 ₡424.1K

33.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 $2,521

$1,984 ₡892.0K

27.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,071 $2,071

$1,400 ₡629.5K

47.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,615 $2,615

$2,681 ₡1.2M

-2.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,687 $2,687

$2,037 ₡915.8K

31.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,549 $4,549

$987 ₡443.6K

361.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

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

Last update for Brevard, NC: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brevard, NC

$1.3K 48.7%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 25.4% $321

Groceries & Markets

Brevard, NC

$444 17.1%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 9.4% $42

Eating Out

Brevard, NC

$311 12%

San Jose

$232 11% 25.3% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brevard, NC

$269 10.4%

San Jose

$190 9% 29.5% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Brevard, NC

$145 5.6%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 19.9% $29

Getting Around

Brevard, NC

$85 3.3%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 5.6% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Brevard, NC

$74 2.9%

San Jose

$84 4% 14.1% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,591 in Brevard, NC versus $1,170 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 in Brevard, NC are about 4.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Brevard, NC versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $444 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brevard, NC

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

06:26 6:26 AM

05:26 5:26 AM

1 h behind Brevard, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,800

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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Between locations

Brevard, NC San Jose 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Brevard, NC
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

Brevard, NC vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,593 in Brevard, NC, $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose comes out roughly 19% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,890 per month in Brevard, NC and $3,161 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,591 in Brevard, NC.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,593 in Brevard, NC and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 19% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,494 per month in Brevard, NC and $972 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 $2,107, than in Brevard, NC at $2,593. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brevard, NC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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