Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Garland, TX and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,590 in Garland, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Garland, TX
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Garland, TX Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Garland, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,590

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,590 per month in Garland, TX vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Garland, TX $2,590
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,751 per month in Garland, TX vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Garland, TX $3,751
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $4,912 per month in Garland, TX vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Garland, TX $4,912
San Jose $3,857

Garland, TX costs about 33% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Garland, TX and San Jose sit above the global median – Garland, TX by 93%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.79 $19.79

$12.22 ₡5,510

61.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.4 $54.4

$60.1 ₡27.1K

-9.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 $10.02

$11.77 ₡5,305

-14.87%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$4.30 ₡1,939

32.09%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$2.72 ₡1,226

-3.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.84 ₡830

26.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.53 $5.53

$3.28 ₡1,480

68.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 $7.40

$4.36 ₡1,966

69.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.38 ₡1,074

-61.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.12 ₡1,408

21.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$2.41 ₡1,086

120.75%

Eggs

$4.53 $4.53

$3.47 ₡1,564

30.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.87 $7.87

$10.57 ₡4,767

-25.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.68 $11.68

$10.56 ₡4,758

10.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 $19.34

$13.75 ₡6,196

40.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$5.04 ₡2,274

5.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.61 ₡727

-22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$4.59 ₡2,069

13.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$3.84 ₡1,731

14.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.77 ₡1,700

-45.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$3.76 ₡1,693

-44.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.12 ₡506

90.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$3.20 ₡1,441

-54.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.64 $9.64

$5.84 ₡2,632

65.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 $10.90

$19.73 ₡8,897

-44.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.75 ₡1,240

-26.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.66 ₡1,650

-10.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.12 ₡503

163.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 $96.7

$65.1 ₡29.4K

48.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.46 ₡1,110

21.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.54 ₡692

11.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.18 $24.18

$8.46 ₡3,815

185.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.55 ₡699

-37.42%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

67.88%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-25.36%

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

$202 $202

$94.7 ₡42.7K

113.86%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$35.11 ₡15.8K

54.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.7 $80.7

$58.6 ₡26.4K

37.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.85 $39.85

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-44.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.24 $16.24

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-35.53%

Cinema Ticket

$15.13 $15.13

$7.83 ₡3,532

93.23%

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

$1,341 $1,341

$971 ₡437.9K

38.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.6K $28.6K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

68.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 $60.2

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-15.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 $29.52

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-46.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 $84.7

$129 ₡58.2K

-34.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$133 ₡60.0K

-9.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,518 $1,518

$934 ₡420.9K

62.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 $1,276

$770 ₡347.2K

65.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,344 $2,344

$1,945 ₡876.7K

20.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 $2,077

$1,316 ₡593.5K

57.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,256 $3,256

$2,277 ₡1.0M

43.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,953 $1,953

$1,795 ₡809.1K

8.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,710 $3,710

$1,006 ₡453.5K

268.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

8.62

-23.20%

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

Last update for Garland, TX: October 6, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Garland, TX

$1.3K 48.5%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 39.6% $506

Groceries & Markets

Garland, TX

$378 14.4%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 5.5% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Garland, TX

$337 12.8%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 44.2% $149

Eating Out

Garland, TX

$319 12.1%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 28.5% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Garland, TX

$133 5%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 32% $42

Getting Around

Garland, TX

$120 4.6%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 33.6% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Garland, TX

$70 2.7%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 25.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,518 in Garland, TX versus $934 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 269% higher in Garland, TX, 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 $54.0 in Garland, TX versus $60.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $378 vs $399 – making Garland, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Garland, TX

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

20:48 8:48 PM

1 h behind Garland, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,035

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Garland, TX San Jose 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Garland, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,590 in Garland, TX, $1,949 in San Jose – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,885 per month in Garland, TX and $2,924 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,341 per month in Garland, TX and $971 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Garland, TX – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Garland, TX at $2,590. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Garland, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,949 in San Jose to $2,590 in Garland, TX. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Garland, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.