Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Highlands Ranch, CO and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $3,464 in Highlands Ranch, CO, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Highlands Ranch, CO
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Highlands Ranch, CO Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Highlands Ranch, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,464

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,464 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $3,464
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $4,105 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $4,105
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $4,746 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $4,746
San Jose $4,054

Highlands Ranch, CO costs about 64% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Highlands Ranch, CO and San Jose sit above the global median – Highlands Ranch, CO by 156%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.27 $15.27

$12.37 ₡5,563

23.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 $80.9

$62.4 ₡28.0K

29.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 $9.80

$11.71 ₡5,264

-16.31%

Cappuccino

$6.20 $6.20

$4.54 ₡2,040

36.56%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$2.75 ₡1,238

-7.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.86 ₡837

11.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.35 ₡1,505

45.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 $5.82

$4.32 ₡1,944

34.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.36 ₡1,061

-58.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.07 ₡1,379

-3.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.51 ₡1,128

9.16%

Eggs

$4.33 $4.33

$3.53 ₡1,585

22.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 $10.89

$10.54 ₡4,738

3.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 $9.14

$10.57 ₡4,754

-13.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 $19.48

$13.92 ₡6,261

39.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.20 ₡2,338

-4.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.65 ₡740

-4.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$4.89 ₡2,198

-0.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$3.84 ₡1,728

34.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.91 ₡1,757

-11.51%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.76 ₡1,692

23.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.12 ₡504

107.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$3.22 ₡1,447

-47.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.24 $10.24

$6.02 ₡2,706

70.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.25 $16.25

$19.84 ₡8,919

-18.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.81 ₡1,264

-7.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.65 ₡1,643

-24.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.08 ₡487

86.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.5 $52.5

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-19.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.26 ₡1,018

11.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.78 ₡799

2.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.64 $24.64

$7.90 ₡3,551

211.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.50 ₡673

-25.33%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-15.61%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-37.84%

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

$211 $211

$93.2 ₡41.9K

126.16%

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

$55.8 $55.8

$36.13 ₡16.2K

54.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.1 $70.1

$60.6 ₡27.2K

15.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.53 $45.53

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-33.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 $12.24

$7.67 ₡3,449

59.58%

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

$1,334 $1,334

$972 ₡436.9K

37.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K $11.5K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-38.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 $60.3

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-14.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.2 $69.2

$56.7 ₡25.5K

22.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 $80.2

$129 ₡57.8K

-37.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$131 ₡58.8K

-10.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 $1,574

$1,170 ₡525.9K

34.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,173 $2,173

$943 ₡424.1K

130.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,791 $2,791

$1,984 ₡892.0K

40.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 $1,882

$1,400 ₡629.5K

34.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,806 $2,806

$2,681 ₡1.2M

4.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,287 $2,287

$2,037 ₡915.8K

12.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,126 $7,126

$987 ₡443.6K

622.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

8.62

-22.27%

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

Last update for Highlands Ranch, CO: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Highlands Ranch, CO

$2.2K 62.7%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 56.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Highlands Ranch, CO

$385 11.1%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 4.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Highlands Ranch, CO

$337 9.7%

San Jose

$190 9% 43.6% $147

Eating Out

Highlands Ranch, CO

$281 8.1%

San Jose

$232 11% 17.2% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Highlands Ranch, CO

$147 4.3%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 18.3% $27

Getting Around

Highlands Ranch, CO

$72 2.1%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 11.9% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Highlands Ranch, CO

$70 2%

San Jose

$84 4% 20.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,574 in Highlands Ranch, CO versus $1,170 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 in Highlands Ranch, CO are about 7.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Highlands Ranch, CO versus $62 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $385 in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $403 in San Jose – so Highlands Ranch, CO wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Highlands Ranch, CO

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

12:56 12:56 PM

13:56 1:56 PM

1 h ahead of Highlands Ranch, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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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Highest

Between locations

Highlands Ranch, CO San Jose 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Highlands Ranch, CO
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

Highlands Ranch, CO vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,464 in Highlands Ranch, CO, $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose comes out roughly 39% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,196 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO and $3,161 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,574 in Highlands Ranch, CO.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Highlands Ranch, CO – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Highlands Ranch, CO and $62 in San Jose. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Highlands Ranch, CO at $3,464. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Highlands Ranch, CO it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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