Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elizabethton, TN and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,683 in Elizabethton, TN, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Elizabethton, TN
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Elizabethton, TN Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Elizabethton, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,683

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,683 per month in Elizabethton, TN vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Elizabethton, TN $2,683
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,922 per month in Elizabethton, TN vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Elizabethton, TN $3,922
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $5,162 per month in Elizabethton, TN vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Elizabethton, TN $5,162
San Jose $4,054

Elizabethton, TN costs about 27% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Elizabethton, TN and San Jose sit above the global median – Elizabethton, TN by 98%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.31 $20.31

$12.37 ₡5,563

64.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 $67.6

$62.4 ₡28.0K

8.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 $11.46

$11.71 ₡5,264

-2.13%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$4.54 ₡2,040

20.93%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$2.75 ₡1,238

-1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.86 ₡837

5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.35 ₡1,505

74.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 $7.44

$4.32 ₡1,944

72.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.36 ₡1,061

-55.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.07 ₡1,379

13.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$2.51 ₡1,128

69.72%

Eggs

$4.11 $4.11

$3.53 ₡1,585

16.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.70 $12.70

$10.54 ₡4,738

20.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.85 $11.85

$10.57 ₡4,754

12.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 $17.34

$13.92 ₡6,261

24.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$5.20 ₡2,338

-0.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.65 ₡740

-2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$4.89 ₡2,198

-10.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.84 ₡1,728

20.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.91 ₡1,757

-28.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.76 ₡1,692

-21.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.12 ₡504

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.22 ₡1,447

-31.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.54 $10.54

$6.02 ₡2,706

75.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 $15.16

$19.84 ₡8,919

-23.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.81 ₡1,264

-29.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.65 ₡1,643

-5.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.08 ₡487

81.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.4 $60.4

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-7.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.26 ₡1,018

70.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.78 ₡799

10.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.81 $29.81

$7.90 ₡3,551

277.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.50 ₡673

-32.67%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-18.67%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-43.29%

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

$219 $219

$93.2 ₡41.9K

135.42%

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

$55.0 $55.0

$36.13 ₡16.2K

52.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.0 $68.0

$60.6 ₡27.2K

12.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.53 $36.53

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-47.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$16.01 $16.01

$7.67 ₡3,449

108.74%

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

$1,231 $1,231

$972 ₡436.9K

26.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K $22.1K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

17.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-23.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.61 $41.61

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-26.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 $77.6

$129 ₡57.8K

-39.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$131 ₡58.8K

-5.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 $1,802

$1,170 ₡525.9K

54.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 $1,329

$943 ₡424.1K

40.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,459 $2,459

$1,984 ₡892.0K

23.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,245 $2,245

$1,400 ₡629.5K

60.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,936 $2,936

$2,681 ₡1.2M

9.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,678 $2,678

$2,037 ₡915.8K

31.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

8.62

-23.55%

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

Last update for Elizabethton, TN: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elizabethton, TN

$1.3K 49.6%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 29.1% $386

Groceries & Markets

Elizabethton, TN

$401 15%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 0.4% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elizabethton, TN

$342 12.8%

San Jose

$190 9% 44.5% $152

Eating Out

Elizabethton, TN

$326 12.1%

San Jose

$232 11% 28.6% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Elizabethton, TN

$134 5%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 30.1% $40

Getting Around

Elizabethton, TN

$82 3.1%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 1.5% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Elizabethton, TN

$69 2.6%

San Jose

$84 4% 22.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,802 in Elizabethton, TN 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 $68 in Elizabethton, TN versus $62 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in Elizabethton, TN vs $403 in San Jose – so Elizabethton, TN wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elizabethton, TN

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

18:31 6:31 PM

17:31 5:31 PM

1 h behind Elizabethton, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,546

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 = 0.895 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Elizabethton, TN San Jose 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Elizabethton, TN
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

Elizabethton, TN vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Elizabethton, TN is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,024 per month in Elizabethton, TN 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 $1,802 in Elizabethton, TN.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,683 in Elizabethton, TN and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 21% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,231 per month in Elizabethton, TN and $972 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Elizabethton, TN at $2,683. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Elizabethton, TN 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.