Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cedar City, UT and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,301 in Cedar City, UT, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in Cedar City, UT despite lower rent and utilities.

Cedar City, UT, United States
San Jose, Costa Rica
Cedar City, UT
🇺🇸 United States
$2,301
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,107
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,301 in Cedar City, UT versus $2,107 in San Jose.

  • Cedar City, UT $2,301
  • San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,578 in Cedar City, UT versus $3,081 in San Jose.

  • Cedar City, UT $3,578
  • San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,854 in Cedar City, UT versus $4,054 in San Jose.

  • Cedar City, UT $4,854
  • San Jose $4,054

Living in Cedar City, UT is roughly 9% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cedar City, UT 70% above, San Jose 56% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cedar City, UT
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.91 $23.91
$12.37 ₡5,563
93.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.1 $79.1
$62.4 ₡28.0K
26.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.94 $14.94
$11.71 ₡5,264
27.58%
Cappuccino
$6.64 $6.64
$4.54 ₡2,040
46.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.80 $4.80
$2.75 ₡1,238
74.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 $3.09
$1.86 ₡837
66.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.05 $6.05
$3.35 ₡1,505
80.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.98 $10.98
$4.32 ₡1,944
154.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cedar City, UT
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$2.36 ₡1,061
-52.12%
White Bread (500g)
$3.56 $3.56
$3.07 ₡1,379
15.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$2.51 ₡1,128
66.93%
Eggs
$3.69 $3.69
$3.53 ₡1,585
4.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.01 $18.01
$10.54 ₡4,738
70.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$16.17 $16.17
$10.57 ₡4,754
52.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.69 $18.69
$13.92 ₡6,261
34.27%
Apples (1kg)
$8.19 $8.19
$5.20 ₡2,338
57.50%
Banana (1kg)
$2.42 $2.42
$1.65 ₡740
46.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$8.01 $8.01
$4.89 ₡2,198
63.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.74 $3.74
$3.84 ₡1,728
-2.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.74 $1.74
$3.91 ₡1,757
-55.50%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$3.76 ₡1,692
-37.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.25 $2.25
$1.12 ₡504
100.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 $2.29
$3.22 ₡1,447
-28.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.04 $13.04
$6.02 ₡2,706
116.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.78 $21.78
$19.84 ₡8,919
9.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 $1.91
$2.81 ₡1,264
-32.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.78 $4.78
$3.65 ₡1,643
30.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Cedar City, UT
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.85 $4.85
$1.08 ₡487
349.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.11 $40.11
$65.2 ₡29.3K
-38.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$2.26 ₡1,018
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.78 ₡799
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$7.90 ₡3,551
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.86 $0.86
$1.50 ₡673
-42.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.9K $36.9K
$33.5K ₡15.1M
10.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.8K $24.8K
$42.3K ₡19.0M
-41.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cedar City, UT
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 $170
$93.2 ₡41.9K
82.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.51 $33.51
$36.13 ₡16.2K
-7.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.2 $57.2
$60.6 ₡27.2K
-5.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cedar City, UT
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 $54.1
$68.9 ₡31.0K
-21.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.94 ₡11.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.35 $11.35
$7.67 ₡3,449
47.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cedar City, UT
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$972 ₡436.9K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$18.9K ₡8.5M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cedar City, UT
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.6 $56.6
$70.6 ₡31.8K
-19.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.0 $51.0
$56.7 ₡25.5K
-10.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 $101
$129 ₡57.8K
-21.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$149 $149
$131 ₡58.8K
14.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cedar City, UT
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,071 $1,071
$1,170 ₡525.9K
-8.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$859 $859
$943 ₡424.1K
-8.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,915 $1,915
$1,984 ₡892.0K
-3.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,609 $1,609
$1,400 ₡629.5K
14.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,651 $2,651
$2,681 ₡1.2M
-1.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,717 $2,717
$2,037 ₡915.8K
33.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cedar City, UT
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,513 $3,513
$987 ₡443.6K
256.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.19
8.62
-16.59%

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

Last update for Cedar City, UT: 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
Cedar City, UT
$859
San Jose
$943 9.8% $84
Groceries & Markets
Cedar City, UT
$485
San Jose
$403 16.9% $82
Eating Out
Cedar City, UT
$399
San Jose
$232 41.8% $167
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cedar City, UT
$261
San Jose
$190 27.2% $71
Clothing & Footwear
Cedar City, UT
$161
San Jose
$174 8.1% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Cedar City, UT
$77
San Jose
$84 9.8% $7.5
Getting Around
Cedar City, UT
$60 *
San Jose
$81 35.6% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Cedar City, UT and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cedar City, UT pays about 3.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $79 in Cedar City, UT vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $485 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Cedar City, UT
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
14:16 2:16 PM
15:16 3:16 PM
1 h ahead of Cedar City, UT
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
28,857
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cedar City, UT San Jose 4,230 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cedar City, UT
  • 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
Cedar City, UT vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Jose cheaper than Cedar City, UT?
San Jose is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cedar City, UT or San Jose?
Average pay in Cedar City, UT is about 3.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Cedar City, UT and San Jose?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Cedar City, UT versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Cedar City, UT or in San Jose?
Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62 versus $79 in Cedar City, UT. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cedar City, UT runs roughly 39% less than in San Jose. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is it better to live in Cedar City, UT or in San Jose?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Cedar City, UT on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Cedar City, UT vs other spots: cost of living compared

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