Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Highland, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,680 in Highland, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Highland, CA
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Highland, CA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Highland, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,680

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,680 per month in Highland, CA vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Highland, CA $2,680
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $4,015 per month in Highland, CA vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Highland, CA $4,015
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $5,349 per month in Highland, CA vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Highland, CA $5,349
San Jose $3,929

Highland, CA costs about 39% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Highland, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Highland, CA by 98%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 $25.04

$12.29 ₡5,513

103.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 $78.1

$62.3 ₡27.9K

25.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.14 $15.14

$11.53 ₡5,171

31.31%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.35 ₡1,953

29.89%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$2.64 ₡1,183

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.86 ₡836

31.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 $7.19

$3.32 ₡1,490

116.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.03 $10.03

$4.52 ₡2,026

121.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$2.39 ₡1,073

-43.93%

White Bread (500g)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.08 ₡1,381

52.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.50 ₡1,119

82.00%

Eggs

$5.29 $5.29

$3.48 ₡1,562

52.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.57 $11.57

$10.74 ₡4,815

7.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 $9.05

$10.32 ₡4,629

-12.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$14.10 ₡6,325

38.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.03 ₡2,256

-6.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.59 ₡714

40.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.84 ₡2,171

-16.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.96 ₡1,776

37.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.76 ₡1,684

-9.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.73 ₡1,674

-21.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.08 ₡485

79.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.25 ₡1,456

-23.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.72 $11.72

$5.86 ₡2,627

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$20.28 ₡9,095

-27.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.90 ₡1,300

-14.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.73 ₡1,673

-25.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.08 ₡486

87.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 $29.83

$65.5 ₡29.4K

-54.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.50 ₡1,123

22.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.63 ₡732

15.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.72 $31.72

$8.71 ₡3,904

264.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.58 ₡709

-1.27%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-15.48%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-37.01%

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

$221 $221

$93.7 ₡42.0K

136.22%

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

$77.6 $77.6

$35.42 ₡15.9K

118.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.7 $78.7

$60.0 ₡26.9K

31.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.95 $40.95

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-43.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$18.20 $18.20

$7.74 ₡3,471

135.14%

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

$1,162 $1,162

$1,005 ₡450.9K

15.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.8K $31.8K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

88.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 $62.8

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-13.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.18 $47.18

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-14.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$128 ₡57.5K

-16.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$130 ₡58.5K

-20.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 $1,489

$932 ₡418.0K

59.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 $1,219

$760 ₡340.8K

60.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,331 $2,331

$1,922 ₡862.0K

21.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,167 $2,167

$1,276 ₡572.1K

69.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,106 $3,106

$2,301 ₡1.0M

34.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,390 $2,390

$1,833 ₡821.9K

30.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

8.62

-26.80%

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

Last update for Highland, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Highland, CA

$1.2K 45.5%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 37.7% $459

Groceries & Markets

Highland, CA

$420 15.7%

San Jose

$403 21% 4% $17

Eating Out

Highland, CA

$392 14.6%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 41.6% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Highland, CA

$377 14.1%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 49.9% $188

Clothing & Footwear

Highland, CA

$144 5.4%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 20.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Highland, CA

$77 2.9%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 13.9% $11

Getting Around

Highland, CA

$50 1.9%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 59.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,489 in Highland, CA versus $932 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 $78.0 in Highland, CA versus $62.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $420 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Highland, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

10:59 10:59 AM

1 h ahead of Highland, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,550

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Highland, CA San Jose 4,310 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Highland, CA
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

Highland, CA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,680 in Highland, CA, $1,924 in San Jose – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,021 per month in Highland, CA and $2,886 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Highland, CA and $62.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,680 in Highland, CA and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 39%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Highland, CA at $2,680. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Highland, CA 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 $1,924 in San Jose to $2,680 in Highland, CA. 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, Highland, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.