Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hampton, VA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $3,297 in Hampton, VA, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Hampton, VA
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Hampton, VA Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Hampton, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,297

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,297 in Hampton, VA versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Hampton, VA $3,297
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,002 in Hampton, VA versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Hampton, VA $5,002
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,707 in Hampton, VA versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Hampton, VA $6,707
San Jose $4,054

Living in Hampton, VA is roughly 56% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hampton, VA 144% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 $20.05

$12.37 ₡5,563

62.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 $73.9

$62.4 ₡28.0K

18.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 $12.16

$11.71 ₡5,264

3.84%

Cappuccino

$4.58 $4.58

$4.54 ₡2,040

0.88%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.75 ₡1,238

18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.86 ₡837

27.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.35 ₡1,505

91.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.14 $9.14

$4.32 ₡1,944

111.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.36 ₡1,061

-31.78%

White Bread (500g)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.07 ₡1,379

75.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.07 $7.07

$2.51 ₡1,128

181.67%

Eggs

$5.51 $5.51

$3.53 ₡1,585

56.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 $7.84

$10.54 ₡4,738

-25.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.05 $26.05

$10.57 ₡4,754

146.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 $20.10

$13.92 ₡6,261

44.40%

Apples (1kg)

$13.48 $13.48

$5.20 ₡2,338

159.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.65 ₡740

54.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$9.95 $9.95

$4.89 ₡2,198

103.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.72 $9.72

$3.84 ₡1,728

153.13%

Potato (1kg)

$6.88 $6.88

$3.91 ₡1,757

75.96%

Onion (1kg)

$6.87 $6.87

$3.76 ₡1,692

82.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.70 $3.70

$1.12 ₡504

230.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$5.27 $5.27

$3.22 ₡1,447

63.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.02 ₡2,706

64.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 $14.68

$19.84 ₡8,919

-26.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.81 ₡1,264

-39.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.65 ₡1,643

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.08 ₡487

252.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.7 $54.7

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-16.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.26 ₡1,018

95.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.78 ₡799

-11.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.60 $19.60

$7.90 ₡3,551

148.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.50 ₡673

-38.67%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-11.17%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-39.62%

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

$220 $220

$93.2 ₡41.9K

135.63%

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

$52.6 $52.6

$36.13 ₡16.2K

45.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.8 $77.8

$60.6 ₡27.2K

28.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 $111

$68.9 ₡31.0K

60.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.69 $34.69

$24.94 ₡11.2K

39.09%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 $17.89

$7.67 ₡3,449

133.25%

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

$1,361 $1,361

$972 ₡436.9K

40.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K $15.2K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-19.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.72 $47.72

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-32.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.95 $47.95

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-15.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 $132

$129 ₡57.8K

2.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$131 ₡58.8K

2.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 $1,637

$1,170 ₡525.9K

40.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 $1,568

$943 ₡424.1K

66.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,911 $2,911

$1,984 ₡892.0K

46.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,878 $2,878

$1,400 ₡629.5K

105.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,285 $2,285

$2,037 ₡915.8K

12.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,658 $3,658

$987 ₡443.6K

270.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

8.62

-29.23%

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

Last update for Hampton, VA: 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

Hampton, VA

$1.6K 47.6%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 39.8% $625

Groceries & Markets

Hampton, VA

$663 20.1%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 39.3% $260

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hampton, VA

$350 10.6%

San Jose

$190 9% 45.7% $160

Eating Out

Hampton, VA

$325 9.9%

San Jose

$232 11% 28.4% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Hampton, VA

$163 4.9%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 6.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Hampton, VA

$147 4.5%

San Jose

$84 4% 42.6% $62

Getting Around

Hampton, VA

$82 2.5%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 1.9% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,637 in Hampton, VA and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hampton, VA pays about 3.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $74 in Hampton, VA vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $663 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hampton, VA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

20:03 8:03 PM

19:03 7:03 PM

1 h behind Hampton, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

137,436

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hampton, VA San Jose 3,110 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hampton, VA
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

Hampton, VA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 36% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Hampton, VA is about 3.7 times higher, 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: $1,637 in Hampton, VA versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,297 per month in Hampton, VA versus $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Hampton, VA runs roughly 16% less than in San Jose. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $3,297 in Hampton, VA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Hampton, VA. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Hampton, VA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.