Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dodge City, KS and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,593 in Dodge City, KS, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dodge City, KS outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Dodge City, KS
🇺🇸 United States
$2,593
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,924
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,593 per month in Dodge City, KS vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Dodge City, KS $2,593
  • San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,749 per month in Dodge City, KS vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Dodge City, KS $3,749
  • San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,905 per month in Dodge City, KS vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Dodge City, KS $4,905
  • San Jose $3,929

Dodge City, KS costs about 35% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dodge City, KS and San Jose sit above the global median – Dodge City, KS by 91%, San Jose by 42%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dodge City, KS
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.84 $17.84
$12.29 ₡5,513
45.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.7 $60.7
$62.3 ₡27.9K
-2.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 $10.90
$11.53 ₡5,171
-5.46%
Cappuccino
$5.29 $5.29
$4.35 ₡1,953
21.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 $2.52
$2.64 ₡1,183
-4.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 $1.87
$1.86 ₡836
0.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.06 $5.06
$3.32 ₡1,490
52.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.97 $5.97
$4.52 ₡2,026
32.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dodge City, KS
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.86 $0.86
$2.39 ₡1,073
-64.02%
White Bread (500g)
$3.82 $3.82
$3.08 ₡1,381
24.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.59 $4.59
$2.50 ₡1,119
83.60%
Eggs
$4.12 $4.12
$3.48 ₡1,562
18.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.56 $11.56
$10.74 ₡4,815
7.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.27 $10.27
$10.32 ₡4,629
-0.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.04 $18.04
$14.10 ₡6,325
27.94%
Apples (1kg)
$2.52 $2.52
$5.03 ₡2,256
-49.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 $1.65
$1.59 ₡714
3.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.78 $3.78
$4.84 ₡2,171
-21.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.45 $2.45
$3.96 ₡1,776
-38.13%
Potato (1kg)
$2.54 $2.54
$3.76 ₡1,684
-32.45%
Onion (1kg)
$2.17 $2.17
$3.73 ₡1,674
-41.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.30 $2.30
$1.08 ₡485
112.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 $2.36
$3.25 ₡1,456
-27.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.99 $9.99
$5.86 ₡2,627
70.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.80 $11.80
$20.28 ₡9,095
-41.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 $2.27
$2.90 ₡1,300
-21.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.81 $3.81
$3.73 ₡1,673
2.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Dodge City, KS
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.96 $1.96
$1.08 ₡486
81.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$65.5 ₡29.4K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.47 $2.47
$2.50 ₡1,123
-1.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.63 ₡732
-6.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.66 $40.66
$8.71 ₡3,904
366.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.93 $0.93
$1.58 ₡709
-41.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K $27.9K
$33.6K ₡15.1M
-16.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K $25.5K
$41.7K ₡18.7M
-38.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dodge City, KS
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$271 $271
$93.7 ₡42.0K
188.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$81.9 $81.9
$35.42 ₡15.9K
131.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.4 $70.4
$60.0 ₡26.9K
17.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dodge City, KS
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.52 $35.52
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-51.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$25.83 ₡11.6K
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.71 $14.71
$7.74 ₡3,471
90.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dodge City, KS
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$919 $919
$1,005 ₡450.9K
-8.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.0K $16.0K
$16.9K ₡7.6M
-5.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dodge City, KS
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.14 $48.14
$73.1 ₡32.8K
-34.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.71 $31.71
$55.4 ₡24.9K
-42.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 $110
$128 ₡57.5K
-14.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 $140
$130 ₡58.5K
7.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dodge City, KS
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 $1,594
$932 ₡418.0K
71.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,281 $1,281
$760 ₡340.8K
68.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,509 $2,509
$1,922 ₡862.0K
30.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,176 $2,176
$1,276 ₡572.1K
70.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,750 $2,750
$2,301 ₡1.0M
19.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,390 $2,390
$1,833 ₡821.9K
30.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dodge City, KS
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,887 $2,887
$1,029 ₡461.3K
180.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.65
8.62
-22.85%

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

Last update for Dodge City, KS: October 17, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dodge City, KS
$1.3K
San Jose
$760 40.7% $521
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dodge City, KS
$423
San Jose
$189 55.3% $234
Groceries & Markets
Dodge City, KS
$364
San Jose
$403 10.8% $39
Eating Out
Dodge City, KS
$294
San Jose
$229 22.1% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Dodge City, KS
$149
San Jose
$174 17.2% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Dodge City, KS
$65
San Jose
$88 35.6% $23
Getting Around
Dodge City, KS
$18 *
San Jose
$80 348% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,594 in Dodge City, KS 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 181% higher in Dodge City, KS, 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 $61.0 in Dodge City, KS versus $62.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $403 – making Dodge City, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Dodge City, KS
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
02:16 2:16 AM
01:16 1:16 AM
1 h behind Dodge City, KS
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
26,101
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dodge City, KS San Jose 3,480 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Dodge City, KS
  • 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
Dodge City, KS vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Dodge City, KS and in San Jose compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,593 in Dodge City, KS, $1,924 in San Jose – roughly 35% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Dodge City, KS compared to San Jose?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,889 per month in Dodge City, KS and $2,886 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Dodge City, KS and San Jose?
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.
Which city is more expensive overall: Dodge City, KS or San Jose?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,593 in Dodge City, KS and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 35%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Dodge City, KS and San Jose?
Kindergarten costs $919 per month in Dodge City, KS and $1,005 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Dodge City, KS at $2,593. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dodge City, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Dodge City, KS and San Jose?
It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,924 in San Jose to $2,593 in Dodge City, KS. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Dodge City, KS or San Jose safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Dodge City, KS and San Jose?
If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dodge City, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Dodge City, KS vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?