Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brookings, OR and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,105 a month against $2,632 in Brookings, OR, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brookings, OR, United States
San Jose, Costa Rica
Brookings, OR
🇺🇸 United States
$2,632
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,105
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,632 per month in Brookings, OR vs $2,105 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Brookings, OR $2,632
  • San Jose $2,105

A couple spends around $3,869 per month in Brookings, OR vs $3,074 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Brookings, OR $3,869
  • San Jose $3,074

A family of three spends $5,107 per month in Brookings, OR vs $4,043 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Brookings, OR $5,107
  • San Jose $4,043

Brookings, OR costs about 25% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brookings, OR and San Jose sit above the global median – Brookings, OR by 93%, San Jose by 55%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brookings, OR
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.05 $20.05
$12.43 ₡5,609
61.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.7 $74.7
$60.9 ₡27.5K
22.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.62 $9.62
$11.72 ₡5,288
-17.92%
Cappuccino
$6.35 $6.35
$4.47 ₡2,019
42.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 $3.33
$2.75 ₡1,241
21.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 $2.05
$1.92 ₡867
6.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.04 $6.04
$3.26 ₡1,470
85.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.80 $6.80
$4.45 ₡2,009
52.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brookings, OR
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 $1.05
$2.36 ₡1,063
-55.51%
White Bread (500g)
$4.35 $4.35
$3.09 ₡1,393
40.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.42 $4.42
$2.40 ₡1,083
84.17%
Eggs
$6.08 $6.08
$3.44 ₡1,553
76.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.79 $12.79
$10.73 ₡4,841
19.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.83 $11.83
$10.36 ₡4,674
14.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.16 $16.16
$13.84 ₡6,243
16.76%
Apples (1kg)
$5.23 $5.23
$5.15 ₡2,323
1.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 $1.63
$1.65 ₡746
-1.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$4.67 ₡2,109
-6.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.74 $4.74
$3.98 ₡1,798
19.10%
Potato (1kg)
$2.76 $2.76
$3.90 ₡1,761
-29.23%
Onion (1kg)
$2.66 $2.66
$3.65 ₡1,647
-27.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.08 ₡487
131.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.24 $2.24
$3.10 ₡1,398
-27.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.29 $10.29
$6.08 ₡2,745
69.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.04 $15.04
$20.05 ₡9,047
-24.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.99 $1.99
$2.77 ₡1,252
-28.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 $3.14
$3.69 ₡1,666
-14.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Brookings, OR
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.29 $2.29
$1.12 ₡503
104.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$57.9 $57.9
$66.7 ₡30.1K
-13.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.40 $3.40
$2.49 ₡1,122
36.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.63 ₡735
-7.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.65 $27.65
$8.47 ₡3,821
226.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 $1.22
$1.57 ₡708
-22.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.7K $24.7K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-28.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.3K $29.3K
$42.3K ₡19.1M
-30.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brookings, OR
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$224 $224
$93.2 ₡42.0K
140.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.5 $58.5
$36.05 ₡16.3K
62.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.2 $70.2
$59.1 ₡26.7K
18.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brookings, OR
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.77 $35.77
$69.0 ₡31.1K
-48.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.80 ₡11.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.82 $13.82
$7.85 ₡3,543
76.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brookings, OR
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,382 $1,382
$996 ₡449.4K
38.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.9K $24.9K
$17.0K ₡7.7M
46.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brookings, OR
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 $53.3
$70.1 ₡31.6K
-24.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.72 $44.72
$55.2 ₡24.9K
-19.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.8 $88.8
$130 ₡58.5K
-31.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 $113
$131 ₡59.2K
-13.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brookings, OR
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,540 $1,540
$1,164 ₡525.2K
32.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,255 $1,255
$945 ₡426.4K
32.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,508 $2,508
$1,993 ₡899.4K
25.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,110 $2,110
$1,404 ₡633.4K
50.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,303 $3,303
$2,727 ₡1.2M
21.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,240 $3,240
$2,040 ₡920.7K
58.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brookings, OR
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,011 ₡456.1K
-
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 Brookings, OR: October 27, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brookings, OR
$1.3K
San Jose
$945 24.7% $311
Groceries & Markets
Brookings, OR
$416
San Jose
$399 4% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brookings, OR
$353
San Jose
$188 46.6% $165
Eating Out
Brookings, OR
$331
San Jose
$232 29.8% $99
Clothing & Footwear
Brookings, OR
$135
San Jose
$174 28.7% $39
Getting Around
Brookings, OR
$78
San Jose
$82 4.9% $3.8
Sport & Entertainment
Brookings, OR
$63
San Jose
$85 33.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,540 in Brookings, OR versus $1,164 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Brookings, OR versus $61 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $399 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Brookings, OR
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
15:24 3:24 PM
16:24 4:24 PM
1 h ahead of Brookings, OR
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
18,802
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brookings, OR San Jose 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brookings, OR
  • 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
Brookings, OR vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Jose cheaper than Brookings, OR?
Yes – Brookings, OR is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,947 per month in Brookings, OR and $3,158 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,164 there versus $1,540 in Brookings, OR.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 13% less in Brookings, OR. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,382 per month in Brookings, OR and $996 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Brookings, OR or in San Jose?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,105, than in Brookings, OR at $2,632. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brookings, OR it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Brookings, OR or San Jose more family-friendly?
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.

Brookings, OR vs other spots: cost of living compared

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