Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnsville, MN and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,552 in Burnsville, MN, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Burnsville, MN
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Burnsville, MN Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Burnsville, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,552

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,552 per month in Burnsville, MN vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Burnsville, MN $2,552
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,598 per month in Burnsville, MN vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Burnsville, MN $3,598
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,644 per month in Burnsville, MN vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Burnsville, MN $4,644
San Jose $3,929

Burnsville, MN costs about 33% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Burnsville, MN and San Jose sit above the global median – Burnsville, MN by 88%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.47 $15.47

$12.29 ₡5,513

25.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 $67.6

$62.3 ₡27.9K

8.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 $9.83

$11.53 ₡5,171

-14.74%

Cappuccino

$5.01 $5.01

$4.35 ₡1,953

15.17%

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

$2.79 $2.79

$2.64 ₡1,183

5.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.86 ₡836

31.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.32 ₡1,490

82.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.53 $7.53

$4.52 ₡2,026

66.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.39 ₡1,073

-60.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.08 ₡1,381

27.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$2.50 ₡1,119

52.40%

Eggs

$3.70 $3.70

$3.48 ₡1,562

6.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 $9.72

$10.74 ₡4,815

-9.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.39 $12.39

$10.32 ₡4,629

20.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.26 $19.26

$14.10 ₡6,325

36.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$5.03 ₡2,256

-1.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.59 ₡714

-8.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$4.84 ₡2,171

-10.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$3.96 ₡1,776

8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.76 ₡1,684

3.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$3.73 ₡1,674

0.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.08 ₡485

139.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.25 ₡1,456

-48.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.91 $12.91

$5.86 ₡2,627

120.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 $8.07

$20.28 ₡9,095

-60.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.90 ₡1,300

-42.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.73 ₡1,673

-7.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.08 ₡486

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.9 $83.9

$65.5 ₡29.4K

28.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.50 ₡1,123

0.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.63 ₡732

-1.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.60 $23.60

$8.71 ₡3,904

170.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.58 ₡709

-37.34%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-18.17%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-37.39%

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

$232 $232

$93.7 ₡42.0K

147.31%

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

$50.4 $50.4

$35.42 ₡15.9K

42.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 $65.2

$60.0 ₡26.9K

8.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.48 $45.48

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-37.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 $12.94

$7.74 ₡3,471

67.18%

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

$1,456 $1,456

$1,005 ₡450.9K

44.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K $28.2K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

66.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.06 $45.06

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-38.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 $50.5

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-8.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.4 $81.4

$128 ₡57.5K

-36.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$130 ₡58.5K

-13.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 $1,444

$932 ₡418.0K

54.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 $1,240

$760 ₡340.8K

63.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,014 $2,014

$1,922 ₡862.0K

4.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 $1,818

$1,276 ₡572.1K

42.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,087 $3,087

$2,301 ₡1.0M

34.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 $2,227

$1,833 ₡821.9K

21.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,752 $3,752

$1,029 ₡461.3K

264.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

8.62

-23.32%

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

Last update for Burnsville, MN: 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

Burnsville, MN

$1.2K 48.6%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 38.7% $480

Groceries & Markets

Burnsville, MN

$381 14.9%

San Jose

$403 21% 5.7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burnsville, MN

$347 13.6%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 45.5% $158

Eating Out

Burnsville, MN

$280 11%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 18.2% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Burnsville, MN

$130 5.1%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 33.9% $44

Getting Around

Burnsville, MN

$103 4%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 21.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Burnsville, MN

$71 2.8%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 23.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,444 in Burnsville, MN 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.

Salaries run about 265% higher in Burnsville, MN, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Burnsville, MN versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $381 in Burnsville, MN vs $403 in San Jose – so Burnsville, MN wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Burnsville, MN

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

05:58 5:58 AM

04:58 4:58 AM

1 h behind Burnsville, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,306

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

Burnsville, MN San Jose 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Burnsville, MN
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

Burnsville, MN vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Burnsville, MN is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,828 per month in Burnsville, MN 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Burnsville, MN – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Burnsville, MN and $62.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Burnsville, MN at $2,552. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Burnsville, MN 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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