Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denton, TX and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,350 in Denton, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Denton, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

114

Cost of Living Index in Denton, TX
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Denton, TX Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Denton, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,350

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,350 in Denton, TX versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Denton, TX $2,350
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,547 in Denton, TX versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Denton, TX $3,547
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,745 in Denton, TX versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Denton, TX $4,745
San Jose $3,934

Living in Denton, TX is roughly 21% 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: Denton, TX 74% above, San Jose 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.78 $17.78

$12.38 ₡5,551

43.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.2 $75.2

$60.9 ₡27.3K

23.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 $11.21

$11.45 ₡5,135

-2.10%

Cappuccino

$5.03 $5.03

$4.39 ₡1,967

14.58%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$2.70 ₡1,211

-3.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.93 ₡864

-17.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$3.20 ₡1,433

84.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$4.41 ₡1,979

57.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.44 ₡1,093

-68.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.05 ₡1,369

-5.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.41 ₡1,081

22.82%

Eggs

$2.73 $2.73

$3.40 ₡1,523

-19.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 $10.07

$10.75 ₡4,823

-6.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 $10.07

$10.43 ₡4,679

-3.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.51 $16.51

$13.99 ₡6,273

18.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$5.25 ₡2,353

-12.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.59 ₡712

-3.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.69 ₡2,103

-28.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.95 ₡1,770

6.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$3.92 ₡1,760

-52.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.68 ₡1,651

-20.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.12 ₡503

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.19 ₡1,429

-16.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.19 $10.19

$6.00 ₡2,692

69.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.69 $11.69

$19.56 ₡8,771

-40.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.82 ₡1,263

-17.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.59 ₡1,611

6.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.12 ₡503

36.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.29 $48.29

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-27.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.50 ₡1,119

31.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.63 ₡733

-5.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.91 $29.91

$8.50 ₡3,812

251.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.56 ₡701

-37.18%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

22.11%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-23.58%

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

$223 $223

$95.2 ₡42.7K

134.44%

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

$67.4 $67.4

$35.58 ₡16.0K

89.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.2 $75.2

$58.6 ₡26.3K

28.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.67 $32.67

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-55.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.26 $32.26

$24.85 ₡11.1K

29.82%

Cinema Ticket

$16.00 $16.00

$7.58 ₡3,401

111.08%

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

$1,796 $1,796

$1,001 ₡449.0K

79.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K $20.0K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

16.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 $50.8

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-27.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 $50.2

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-10.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 $99.6

$130 ₡58.2K

-23.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$131 ₡58.7K

-1.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 $1,267

$927 ₡415.8K

36.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 $1,061

$774 ₡347.2K

37.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,322 $2,322

$1,967 ₡882.0K

18.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,918 $1,918

$1,288 ₡577.6K

48.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,712 $2,712

$2,274 ₡1.0M

19.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,175 $2,175

$1,831 ₡821.0K

18.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,782 $3,782

$1,016 ₡455.8K

272.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

8.62

-21.35%

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

Last update for Denton, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Denton, TX

$1.1K 45.2%

San Jose

$774 40% 27% $287

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denton, TX

$366 15.6%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 48.2% $176

Groceries & Markets

Denton, TX

$348 14.8%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 15.1% $53

Eating Out

Denton, TX

$296 12.6%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 22.6% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Denton, TX

$148 6.3%

San Jose

$174 9% 17.3% $26

Getting Around

Denton, TX

$65 2.8%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 25.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Denton, TX

$65 2.8%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 35.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,267 in Denton, TX and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Denton, TX pays 272% 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: $75.0 in Denton, TX vs $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $401, with Denton, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Denton, TX

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

00:02 12:02 AM

1 h behind Denton, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,561

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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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Highest

Between locations

Denton, TX San Jose 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Denton, TX
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

Denton, TX vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Denton, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 272% higher in Denton, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,267 in Denton, TX versus $927 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Denton, TX pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $75.0 in Denton, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,350 in Denton, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Denton, TX. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,938 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Denton, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.