Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Enfield and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,447 in Enfield, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Enfield, United States
San Jose, Costa Rica
Enfield
🇺🇸 United States
$2,447
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,107
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,447 in Enfield versus $2,107 in San Jose.

  • Enfield $2,447
  • San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,775 in Enfield versus $3,081 in San Jose.

  • Enfield $3,775
  • San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,103 in Enfield versus $4,054 in San Jose.

  • Enfield $5,103
  • San Jose $4,054

Living in Enfield is roughly 16% 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: Enfield 81% above, San Jose 56% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Enfield
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.33 $20.33
$12.37 ₡5,563
64.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.6 $73.6
$62.4 ₡28.0K
18.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.52 $11.52
$11.71 ₡5,264
-1.62%
Cappuccino
$4.71 $4.71
$4.54 ₡2,040
3.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 $2.89
$2.75 ₡1,238
5.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 $1.73
$1.86 ₡837
-6.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.22 $6.22
$3.35 ₡1,505
85.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.67 $7.67
$4.32 ₡1,944
77.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Enfield
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$2.36 ₡1,061
-55.93%
White Bread (500g)
$3.61 $3.61
$3.07 ₡1,379
17.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.35 $4.35
$2.51 ₡1,128
73.31%
Eggs
$4.14 $4.14
$3.53 ₡1,585
17.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.22 $12.22
$10.54 ₡4,738
15.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.82 $11.82
$10.57 ₡4,754
11.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.13 $17.13
$13.92 ₡6,261
23.06%
Apples (1kg)
$4.91 $4.91
$5.20 ₡2,338
-5.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 $1.65
$1.65 ₡740
-
Oranges (1kg)
$4.36 $4.36
$4.89 ₡2,198
-10.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.59 $4.59
$3.84 ₡1,728
19.53%
Potato (1kg)
$2.78 $2.78
$3.91 ₡1,757
-28.90%
Onion (1kg)
$3.02 $3.02
$3.76 ₡1,692
-19.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.21 $2.21
$1.12 ₡504
97.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.20 $2.20
$3.22 ₡1,447
-31.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.84 $9.84
$6.02 ₡2,706
63.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.73 $14.73
$19.84 ₡8,919
-25.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.83 $1.83
$2.81 ₡1,264
-34.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.35 $3.35
$3.65 ₡1,643
-8.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Enfield
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 $2.26
$1.08 ₡487
109.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.7 $65.7
$65.2 ₡29.3K
0.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.44 $3.44
$2.26 ₡1,018
52.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.62 $1.62
$1.78 ₡799
-8.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.05 $29.05
$7.90 ₡3,551
267.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.14 $1.14
$1.50 ₡673
-24.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.3K $25.3K
$33.5K ₡15.1M
-24.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.4K $22.4K
$42.3K ₡19.0M
-46.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Enfield
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$200 $200
$93.2 ₡41.9K
114.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.3 $58.3
$36.13 ₡16.2K
61.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.4 $69.4
$60.6 ₡27.2K
14.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Enfield
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.45 $39.45
$68.9 ₡31.0K
-42.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$50.4 $50.4
$24.94 ₡11.2K
101.88%
Cinema Ticket
$14.01 $14.01
$7.67 ₡3,449
82.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Enfield
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,164 $1,164
$972 ₡436.9K
19.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.0K $18.0K
$18.9K ₡8.5M
-4.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Enfield
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.2 $54.2
$70.6 ₡31.8K
-23.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.94 $41.94
$56.7 ₡25.5K
-26.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.4 $88.4
$129 ₡57.8K
-31.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114 $114
$131 ₡58.8K
-12.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Enfield
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,447 $1,447
$1,170 ₡525.9K
23.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,116 $1,116
$943 ₡424.1K
18.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,416 $2,416
$1,984 ₡892.0K
21.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,131 $2,131
$1,400 ₡629.5K
52.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,064 $3,064
$2,681 ₡1.2M
14.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,667 $2,667
$2,037 ₡915.8K
30.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Enfield
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,519 $5,519
$987 ₡443.6K
459.37%
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 Enfield: 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
Enfield
$1.1K
San Jose
$943 15.5% $173
Groceries & Markets
Enfield
$397
San Jose
$403 1.3% $5.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Enfield
$327
San Jose
$190 42% $137
Eating Out
Enfield
$319
San Jose
$232 27.1% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Enfield
$134
San Jose
$174 29.6% $40
Getting Around
Enfield
$86
San Jose
$81 6.4% $5.6
Sport & Entertainment
Enfield
$67
San Jose
$84 24.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,447 in Enfield and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Enfield pays about 5.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $74 in Enfield vs $62 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $397 vs $403, with Enfield cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Enfield
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
07:23 7:23 AM
06:23 6:23 AM
1 h behind Enfield
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
45,231
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Enfield San Jose 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Enfield
  • 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
Enfield vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Enfield or San Jose?
San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Enfield. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Enfield or in San Jose?
Average pay in Enfield is about 5.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Enfield compared to San Jose?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,447 in Enfield versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Enfield compared to San Jose?
All in, you’ll spend $2,447 per month in Enfield versus $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How do dining costs compare in Enfield and in San Jose?
Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62 versus $74 in Enfield. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Enfield or 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.
Should I move to Enfield or to San Jose?
It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Enfield on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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