Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Coeur d'Alene, ID and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,664 in Coeur d'Alene, ID, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Coeur d'Alene, ID
🇺🇸 United States
$2,664
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,949
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Coeur d'Alene, ID 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 Coeur d'Alene, ID and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,664 in Coeur d'Alene, ID versus $1,949 in San Jose.

  • Coeur d'Alene, ID $2,664
  • San Jose $1,949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,695 in Coeur d'Alene, ID versus $2,903 in San Jose.

  • Coeur d'Alene, ID $3,695
  • San Jose $2,903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,726 in Coeur d'Alene, ID versus $3,857 in San Jose.

  • Coeur d'Alene, ID $4,726
  • San Jose $3,857

Living in Coeur d'Alene, ID is roughly 37% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Coeur d'Alene, ID 99% above, San Jose 45% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Coeur d'Alene, ID
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.02 $17.02
$12.22 ₡5,510
39.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.5 $66.5
$60.1 ₡27.1K
10.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.91 $11.91
$11.77 ₡5,305
1.19%
Cappuccino
$4.80 $4.80
$4.30 ₡1,939
11.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 $2.55
$2.72 ₡1,226
-6.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 $2.03
$1.84 ₡830
10.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.40 $5.40
$3.28 ₡1,480
64.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.10 $6.10
$4.36 ₡1,966
39.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Coeur d'Alene, ID
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.96 $0.96
$2.38 ₡1,074
-59.66%
White Bread (500g)
$3.50 $3.50
$3.12 ₡1,408
12.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$8.19 $8.19
$2.41 ₡1,086
239.83%
Eggs
$4.45 $4.45
$3.47 ₡1,564
28.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.42 $20.42
$10.57 ₡4,767
93.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.84 $9.84
$10.56 ₡4,758
-6.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.35 $19.35
$13.75 ₡6,196
40.73%
Apples (1kg)
$3.78 $3.78
$5.04 ₡2,274
-25.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 $1.40
$1.61 ₡727
-13.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.35 $3.35
$4.59 ₡2,069
-27.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 $3.90
$3.84 ₡1,731
1.56%
Potato (1kg)
$2.18 $2.18
$3.77 ₡1,700
-42.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.88 $1.88
$3.76 ₡1,693
-50.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.46 $2.46
$1.12 ₡506
119.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.70 $2.70
$3.20 ₡1,441
-15.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.58 $8.58
$5.84 ₡2,632
46.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.70 $19.70
$19.73 ₡8,897
-0.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 $1.71
$2.75 ₡1,240
-37.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.57 $4.57
$3.66 ₡1,650
24.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Coeur d'Alene, ID
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$7.71 $7.71
$1.12 ₡503
588.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.88 $27.88
$65.1 ₡29.4K
-57.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.79 $1.79
$2.46 ₡1,110
-27.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.34 $3.34
$1.54 ₡692
116.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$49.45 $49.45
$8.46 ₡3,815
484.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.55 ₡699
-34.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.0K $32.0K
$21.7K ₡9.8M
47.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K $26.7K
$34.9K ₡15.7M
-23.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Coeur d'Alene, ID
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$137 $137
$94.7 ₡42.7K
45.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$52.2 $52.2
$35.11 ₡15.8K
48.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.1 $69.1
$58.6 ₡26.4K
17.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Coeur d'Alene, ID
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.5 $52.5
$72.2 ₡32.5K
-27.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.92 $19.92
$25.19 ₡11.4K
-20.92%
Cinema Ticket
$13.41 $13.41
$7.83 ₡3,532
71.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Coeur d'Alene, ID
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,597 $1,597
$971 ₡437.9K
64.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.0K $14.0K
$17.0K ₡7.7M
-17.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Coeur d'Alene, ID
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.8 $55.8
$71.6 ₡32.3K
-22.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.43 $39.43
$54.9 ₡24.7K
-28.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.6 $85.6
$129 ₡58.2K
-33.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.2 $59.2
$133 ₡60.0K
-55.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Coeur d'Alene, ID
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,960 $1,960
$934 ₡420.9K
109.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,440 $1,440
$770 ₡347.2K
87.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,416 $2,416
$1,945 ₡876.7K
24.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,980 $1,980
$1,316 ₡593.5K
50.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 $4,098
$2,277 ₡1.0M
79.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,862 $3,862
$1,795 ₡809.1K
115.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Coeur d'Alene, ID
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,697 $3,697
$1,006 ₡453.5K
267.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.54
8.62
-24.13%

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

Last update for Coeur d'Alene, ID: October 5, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Coeur d'Alene, ID
$1.4K
San Jose
$770 46.5% $670
Groceries & Markets
Coeur d'Alene, ID
$433
San Jose
$399 8% $34
Eating Out
Coeur d'Alene, ID
$287
San Jose
$228 20.5% $59
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Coeur d'Alene, ID
$259
San Jose
$188 27.2% $70
Clothing & Footwear
Coeur d'Alene, ID
$108
San Jose
$175 61.9% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Coeur d'Alene, ID
$79
San Jose
$88 10.8% $8.6
Getting Around
Coeur d'Alene, ID
$77
San Jose
$80 3.2% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,960 in Coeur d'Alene, ID and $934 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Coeur d'Alene, ID pays 267% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Coeur d'Alene, ID vs $60.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $433 vs $399 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Coeur d'Alene, ID
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
13:25 1:25 PM
14:25 2:25 PM
1 h ahead of Coeur d'Alene, ID
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
49,122
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Coeur d'Alene, ID San Jose 5,190 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Coeur d'Alene, ID
  • 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
Coeur d'Alene, ID vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Coeur d'Alene, ID and in San Jose?
Coeur d'Alene, ID and San Jose differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($2,664 vs $1,949 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Coeur d'Alene, ID or San Jose?
Average pay runs 267% higher in Coeur d'Alene, ID, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Coeur d'Alene, ID and in San Jose?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,960 in Coeur d'Alene, ID versus $934 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $67.0 in Coeur d'Alene, ID. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Coeur d'Alene, ID or San Jose?
All in, you'll spend $2,664 per month in Coeur d'Alene, ID versus $1,949 in San Jose – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,949 in San Jose versus $2,664 in Coeur d'Alene, ID, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Coeur d'Alene, ID. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Coeur d'Alene, ID and 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.
Where should expats move: Coeur d'Alene, ID or San Jose?
Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Coeur d'Alene, ID. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Coeur d'Alene, ID vs other spots: cost of living compared

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