Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brockton, MA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,758 in Brockton, MA, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in Brockton, MA
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Brockton, MA Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Brockton, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,758

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,758 in Brockton, MA versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Brockton, MA $2,758
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,009 in Brockton, MA versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Brockton, MA $4,009
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,260 in Brockton, MA versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Brockton, MA $5,260
San Jose $4,054

Living in Brockton, MA is roughly 31% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brockton, MA 104% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.25 $15.25

$12.37 ₡5,563

23.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 $93.8

$62.4 ₡28.0K

50.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 $7.45

$11.71 ₡5,264

-36.38%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$4.54 ₡2,040

22.03%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$2.75 ₡1,238

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.86 ₡837

-20.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.35 ₡1,505

53.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 $8.06

$4.32 ₡1,944

86.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.36 ₡1,061

-55.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.07 ₡1,379

27.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$2.51 ₡1,128

113.55%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$3.53 ₡1,585

33.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 $11.50

$10.54 ₡4,738

9.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 $14.22

$10.57 ₡4,754

34.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 $17.43

$13.92 ₡6,261

25.22%

Apples (1kg)

$6.53 $6.53

$5.20 ₡2,338

25.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.65 ₡740

4.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$4.89 ₡2,198

37.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$3.84 ₡1,728

41.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.91 ₡1,757

-29.67%

Onion (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$3.76 ₡1,692

19.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.12 ₡504

111.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.22 ₡1,447

-36.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.45 $13.45

$6.02 ₡2,706

123.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 $14.28

$19.84 ₡8,919

-28.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.81 ₡1,264

-23.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.65 ₡1,643

7.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.08 ₡487

87.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.9 $60.9

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-6.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.26 ₡1,018

80.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.78 ₡799

42.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.85 $39.85

$7.90 ₡3,551

404.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.50 ₡673

-31.33%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-17.23%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-36.84%

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

$323 $323

$93.2 ₡41.9K

246.51%

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

$65.1 $65.1

$36.13 ₡16.2K

80.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.8 $83.8

$60.6 ₡27.2K

38.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.25 $39.25

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-43.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 $14.61

$7.67 ₡3,449

90.48%

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

$1,846 $1,846

$972 ₡436.9K

90.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,953 $7,953

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-57.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 $57.6

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-18.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 $38.09

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-32.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 $78.9

$129 ₡57.8K

-38.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$131 ₡58.8K

-22.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 $1,558

$1,170 ₡525.9K

33.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,296 $1,296

$943 ₡424.1K

37.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 $2,529

$1,984 ₡892.0K

27.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,099 $2,099

$1,400 ₡629.5K

49.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 $2,870

$2,681 ₡1.2M

7.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,154 $2,154

$2,037 ₡915.8K

5.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,366 $4,366

$987 ₡443.6K

342.47%

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 Brockton, MA: November 3, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brockton, MA

$1.3K 47%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 27.2% $353

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brockton, MA

$472 17.1%

San Jose

$190 9% 59.7% $282

Groceries & Markets

Brockton, MA

$443 16.1%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 9.1% $40

Eating Out

Brockton, MA

$268 9.7%

San Jose

$232 11% 13.3% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Brockton, MA

$124 4.5%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 40.1% $50

Getting Around

Brockton, MA

$86 3.1%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 6% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Brockton, MA

$68 2.5%

San Jose

$84 4% 23.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,558 in Brockton, MA and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brockton, MA pays about 4.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $94 in Brockton, MA vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $443 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brockton, MA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

16:38 4:38 PM

15:38 3:38 PM

1 h behind Brockton, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

94,191

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 = 0.895 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brockton, MA San Jose 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Brockton, MA
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

Brockton, MA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Brockton, MA. 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 in Brockton, MA is about 4.4 times higher, 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: $1,558 in Brockton, MA versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,758 per month in Brockton, MA versus $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Brockton, MA runs roughly 7% less than in San Jose. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,758 in Brockton, MA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Brockton, MA. 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.

It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Brockton, MA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.