Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brookings, SD and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,592 in Brookings, SD, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brookings, SD outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brookings, SD
Learn more

Brookings, SD Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Brookings, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,592

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,592 per month in Brookings, SD vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Brookings, SD $2,592
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,536 per month in Brookings, SD vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Brookings, SD $3,536
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,480 per month in Brookings, SD vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Brookings, SD $4,480
San Jose $3,929

Brookings, SD costs about 35% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brookings, SD and San Jose sit above the global median – Brookings, SD by 91%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.52 $17.52

$12.29 ₡5,513

42.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.50 $39.50

$62.3 ₡27.9K

-36.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.37 $11.37

$11.53 ₡5,171

-1.39%

Cappuccino

$4.59 $4.59

$4.35 ₡1,953

5.52%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$2.64 ₡1,183

-4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.86 ₡836

5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

$3.32 ₡1,490

83.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 $7.03

$4.52 ₡2,026

55.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$2.39 ₡1,073

-64.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.08 ₡1,381

13.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.54 $6.54

$2.50 ₡1,119

161.60%

Eggs

$3.56 $3.56

$3.48 ₡1,562

2.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$10.74 ₡4,815

-3.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.83 $13.83

$10.32 ₡4,629

34.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$14.10 ₡6,325

-7.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$5.03 ₡2,256

17.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.59 ₡714

15.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.84 ₡2,171

35.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$3.96 ₡1,776

31.57%

Potato (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$3.76 ₡1,684

16.76%

Onion (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.73 ₡1,674

10.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.08 ₡485

118.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.25 ₡1,456

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 $13.03

$5.86 ₡2,627

122.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.88 $11.88

$20.28 ₡9,095

-41.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.90 ₡1,300

-1.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 $5.76

$3.73 ₡1,673

54.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.50 ₡1,123

101.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.63 ₡732

3.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.76 $23.76

$8.71 ₡3,904

172.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.58 ₡709

-34.81%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-10.18%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-36.83%

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

$178 $178

$93.7 ₡42.0K

90.24%

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

$54.1 $54.1

$35.42 ₡15.9K

52.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 $70.7

$60.0 ₡26.9K

17.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.83 $11.83

$7.74 ₡3,471

52.84%

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

$1,338 $1,338

$1,005 ₡450.9K

33.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.3K $36.3K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

114.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.60 $42.60

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-41.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.98 $34.98

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-36.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 $88.0

$128 ₡57.5K

-31.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$130 ₡58.5K

-20.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,663 $1,663

$932 ₡418.0K

78.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 $1,419

$760 ₡340.8K

86.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,083 $2,083

$1,922 ₡862.0K

8.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 $2,037

$1,276 ₡572.1K

59.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,622 $2,622

$2,301 ₡1.0M

13.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,872 $2,872

$1,833 ₡821.9K

56.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

8.62

-36.19%

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

Last update for Brookings, SD: October 20, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brookings, SD

$1.4K 54.8%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 46.4% $659

Groceries & Markets

Brookings, SD

$420 16.2%

San Jose

$403 21% 3.9% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brookings, SD

$303 11.7%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 37.6% $114

Eating Out

Brookings, SD

$292 11.3%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 21.6% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Brookings, SD

$121 4.7%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 43.5% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Brookings, SD

$24 * 0.9%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 272% $64

Getting Around

Brookings, SD

$13 * 0.5%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 500% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,663 in Brookings, SD versus $932 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 $39.00 in Brookings, SD versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $420 in Brookings, SD vs $403 in San Jose – so San Jose wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brookings, SD

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

03:43 3:43 AM

02:43 2:43 AM

1 h behind Brookings, SD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,802

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brookings, SD San Jose 4,010 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Brookings, SD
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, SD vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brookings, SD costs about 35% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,888 per month in Brookings, SD and $2,886 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Brookings, SD and $62.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Brookings, SD, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Brookings, SD at $2,592. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brookings, SD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,924 versus $2,592 in Brookings, SD. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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