Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between High Point, NC and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,173 in High Point, NC, rent and utilities included – about $790 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in High Point, NC
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High Point, NC Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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High Point, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,173

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,173 in High Point, NC versus $2,107 in San Jose.

High Point, NC $2,173
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,150 in High Point, NC versus $3,081 in San Jose.

High Point, NC $3,150
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,128 in High Point, NC versus $4,054 in San Jose.

High Point, NC $4,128
San Jose $4,054

Living in High Point, NC is roughly 3% 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: High Point, NC 61% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 $17.65

$12.37 ₡5,563

42.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.6 $80.6

$62.4 ₡28.0K

29.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 $10.08

$11.71 ₡5,264

-13.92%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.54 ₡2,040

20.48%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$2.75 ₡1,238

2.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.86 ₡837

8.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$3.35 ₡1,505

50.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 $5.87

$4.32 ₡1,944

35.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.36 ₡1,061

-57.20%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 $4.03

$3.07 ₡1,379

31.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.51 ₡1,128

33.47%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$3.53 ₡1,585

22.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 $16.65

$10.54 ₡4,738

57.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.90 $13.90

$10.57 ₡4,754

31.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.81 $17.81

$13.92 ₡6,261

27.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$5.20 ₡2,338

4.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.65 ₡740

-13.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$4.89 ₡2,198

-3.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.84 ₡1,728

18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.91 ₡1,757

-6.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.76 ₡1,692

-18.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.12 ₡504

78.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.22 ₡1,447

-26.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.60 $8.60

$6.02 ₡2,706

42.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.97 $14.97

$19.84 ₡8,919

-24.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.81 ₡1,264

-40.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$3.65 ₡1,643

-0.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.08 ₡487

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.2 $60.2

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-7.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.26 ₡1,018

59.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.78 ₡799

-25.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.28 $15.28

$7.90 ₡3,551

93.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.50 ₡673

-33.33%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-12.16%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-40.16%

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

$175 $175

$93.2 ₡41.9K

87.51%

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

$52.4 $52.4

$36.13 ₡16.2K

44.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.6 $62.6

$60.6 ₡27.2K

3.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.71 $34.71

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-49.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 $11.88

$7.67 ₡3,449

54.89%

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

$1,311 $1,311

$972 ₡436.9K

34.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

32.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.84 $38.84

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-45.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.63 $31.63

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-44.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 $85.4

$129 ₡57.8K

-33.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.3 $93.3

$131 ₡58.8K

-28.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,571 $1,571

$1,170 ₡525.9K

34.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$911 $911

$943 ₡424.1K

-3.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 $2,602

$1,984 ₡892.0K

31.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 $1,270

$1,400 ₡629.5K

-9.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,910 $1,910

$2,681 ₡1.2M

-28.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,919 $1,919

$2,037 ₡915.8K

-5.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,327 $4,327

$987 ₡443.6K

338.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

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

Last update for High Point, NC: 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

High Point, NC

$911 41.9%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 3.6% $33

Groceries & Markets

High Point, NC

$430 19.8%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 6.4% $28

Eating Out

High Point, NC

$293 13.5%

San Jose

$232 11% 20.8% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

High Point, NC

$290 13.3%

San Jose

$190 9% 34.4% $100

Clothing & Footwear

High Point, NC

$112 5.2%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 55.2% $62

Getting Around

High Point, NC

$79 3.6%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 2.8% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

High Point, NC

$58 2.7%

San Jose

$84 4% 44.1% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,571 in High Point, NC and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

High Point, NC pays about 4.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $81 in High Point, NC vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $430 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 High Point, NC

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

16:00 4:00 PM

15:00 3:00 PM

1 h behind High Point, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

104,371

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

High Point, NC San Jose 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

High Point, NC
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

High Point, NC vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,173 in High Point, NC and $2,107 in San Jose, so San Jose is about 3% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in High Point, NC is about 4.4 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: $1,571 in High Point, NC versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62 versus $81 in High Point, NC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,173 per month in High Point, NC versus $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though San Jose gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, High Point, NC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.