Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chevy Chase, MD and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $3,643 in Chevy Chase, MD, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

174

Cost of Living Index in Chevy Chase, MD
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Chevy Chase, MD Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Chevy Chase, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,643

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,643 per month in Chevy Chase, MD vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Chevy Chase, MD $3,643
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $4,508 per month in Chevy Chase, MD vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Chevy Chase, MD $4,508
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $5,374 per month in Chevy Chase, MD vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Chevy Chase, MD $5,374
San Jose $4,054

Chevy Chase, MD costs about 73% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chevy Chase, MD and San Jose sit above the global median – Chevy Chase, MD by 169%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.12 $24.12

$12.37 ₡5,563

94.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.1 $98.1

$62.4 ₡28.0K

57.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.86 $10.86

$11.71 ₡5,264

-7.26%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$4.54 ₡2,040

27.75%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$2.75 ₡1,238

8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.86 ₡837

30.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 $7.98

$3.35 ₡1,505

138.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$4.32 ₡1,944

104.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.36 ₡1,061

-48.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.35 $4.35

$3.07 ₡1,379

41.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.51 ₡1,128

114.74%

Eggs

$5.01 $5.01

$3.53 ₡1,585

41.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.57 $21.57

$10.54 ₡4,738

104.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.05 $16.05

$10.57 ₡4,754

51.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.34 $22.34

$13.92 ₡6,261

60.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$5.20 ₡2,338

9.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.65 ₡740

15.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.89 ₡2,198

-7.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 $5.75

$3.84 ₡1,728

49.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.91 ₡1,757

-14.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.76 ₡1,692

3.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.12 ₡504

109.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.22 ₡1,447

-20.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.02 ₡2,706

64.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.98 $16.98

$19.84 ₡8,919

-14.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.81 ₡1,264

1.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.65 ₡1,643

-21.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.08 ₡487

107.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.0 $59.0

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-9.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.26 ₡1,018

96.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.78 ₡799

-11.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.86 $33.86

$7.90 ₡3,551

328.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.50 ₡673

-30.67%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-12.16%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-39.81%

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

$165 $165

$93.2 ₡41.9K

77.48%

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

$52.1 $52.1

$36.13 ₡16.2K

44.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$60.6 ₡27.2K

0.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 $45.69

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-33.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$16.77 $16.77

$7.67 ₡3,449

118.64%

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

$1,869 $1,869

$972 ₡436.9K

92.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K $19.7K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

4.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 $55.4

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-21.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.0 $62.0

$56.7 ₡25.5K

9.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$129 ₡57.8K

-20.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 $160

$131 ₡58.8K

22.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,561 $2,561

$1,170 ₡525.9K

118.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 $2,152

$943 ₡424.1K

128.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,162 $4,162

$1,984 ₡892.0K

109.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 $1,921

$1,400 ₡629.5K

37.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,836 $2,836

$2,681 ₡1.2M

5.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,342 $2,342

$2,037 ₡915.8K

15.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

8.62

-20.42%

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

Last update for Chevy Chase, MD: October 31, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chevy Chase, MD

$2.2K 59.1%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 56.2% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Chevy Chase, MD

$508 13.9%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 20.7% $105

Eating Out

Chevy Chase, MD

$374 10.3%

San Jose

$232 11% 37.9% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chevy Chase, MD

$278 7.6%

San Jose

$190 9% 31.8% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Chevy Chase, MD

$171 4.7%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 1.7% $2.9

Getting Around

Chevy Chase, MD

$80 2.2%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 0.5% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Chevy Chase, MD

$79 2.2%

San Jose

$84 4% 6.4% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,561 in Chevy Chase, MD versus $1,170 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 $98 in Chevy Chase, MD versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $508 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chevy Chase, MD

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

06:13 6:13 AM

05:13 5:13 AM

1 h behind Chevy Chase, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,000

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chevy Chase, MD San Jose 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chevy Chase, MD
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

Chevy Chase, MD vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chevy Chase, MD costs about 73% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,464 per month in Chevy Chase, MD and $3,161 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $2,561 in Chevy Chase, MD.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Chevy Chase, MD and $62 in San Jose. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,643 in Chevy Chase, MD and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 42% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Chevy Chase, MD at $3,643. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chevy Chase, MD 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.