Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hot Springs, AR and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Hot Springs, AR: $1,710 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Hot Springs, AR
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Hot Springs, AR Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Hot Springs, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,710

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,710 per month in Hot Springs, AR vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Hot Springs, AR $1,710
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $2,571 per month in Hot Springs, AR vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Hot Springs, AR $2,571
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $3,432 per month in Hot Springs, AR vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Hot Springs, AR $3,432
San Jose $3,934

Hot Springs, AR is about 12% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Hot Springs, AR and San Jose sit above the global median – Hot Springs, AR by 27%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 $16.17

$12.38 ₡5,551

30.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 $69.0

$60.9 ₡27.3K

13.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.35 $9.35

$11.45 ₡5,135

-18.34%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$4.39 ₡1,967

14.35%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$2.70 ₡1,211

2.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.93 ₡864

-20.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$3.20 ₡1,433

52.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 $6.01

$4.41 ₡1,979

36.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.44 ₡1,093

-62.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.05 ₡1,369

-2.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.41 ₡1,081

-15.77%

Eggs

$2.31 $2.31

$3.40 ₡1,523

-32.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 $10.88

$10.75 ₡4,823

1.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 $12.73

$10.43 ₡4,679

22.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.27 $19.27

$13.99 ₡6,273

37.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$5.25 ₡2,353

-31.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.59 ₡712

-13.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$4.69 ₡2,103

-20.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.95 ₡1,770

-5.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$3.92 ₡1,760

-54.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.68 ₡1,651

-25.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.12 ₡503

108.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$3.19 ₡1,429

-65.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.54 $8.54

$6.00 ₡2,692

42.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.84 $18.84

$19.56 ₡8,771

-3.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.82 ₡1,263

-9.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 $4.57

$3.59 ₡1,611

27.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.12 ₡503

8.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 $28.39

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-57.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.50 ₡1,119

8.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.63 ₡733

34.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.56 ₡701

-44.23%

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

$16.8K $16.8K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

-25.18%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-35.07%

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

$179 $179

$95.2 ₡42.7K

87.83%

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

$56.1 $56.1

$35.58 ₡16.0K

57.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.40 $39.40

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-32.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.69 $34.69

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-52.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.92 $9.92

$24.85 ₡11.1K

-60.08%

Cinema Ticket

$10.13 $10.13

$7.58 ₡3,401

33.64%

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

$593 $593

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-40.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.76 $40.76

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-42.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.11 $40.11

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-28.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$130 ₡58.2K

-21.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 $78.7

$131 ₡58.7K

-39.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$722 $722

$927 ₡415.8K

-22.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 $582

$774 ₡347.2K

-24.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,088 $1,088

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-44.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 $905

$1,288 ₡577.6K

-29.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,950 $1,950

$2,274 ₡1.0M

-14.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 $1,942

$1,831 ₡821.0K

6.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,532 $3,532

$1,016 ₡455.8K

247.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

8.62

-24.71%

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

Last update for Hot Springs, AR: October 13, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hot Springs, AR

$582 34%

San Jose

$774 40% 33.1% $192

Groceries & Markets

Hot Springs, AR

$363 21.2%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 10.5% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hot Springs, AR

$274 16%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 31% $85

Eating Out

Hot Springs, AR

$271 15.9%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 15.5% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Hot Springs, AR

$118 6.9%

San Jose

$174 9% 48% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Hot Springs, AR

$55 3.2%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 59.8% $33

Getting Around

Hot Springs, AR

$47 2.8%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 74.2% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $722 in Hot Springs, AR versus $927 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 248% higher in Hot Springs, AR, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Hot Springs, AR versus $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $363 in Hot Springs, AR vs $401 in San Jose – so Hot Springs, AR wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hot Springs, AR

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

04:58 4:58 AM

03:58 3:58 AM

1 h behind Hot Springs, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,930

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Hot Springs, AR San Jose 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Hot Springs, AR
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

Hot Springs, AR vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose costs about 13% more than Hot Springs, AR, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,565 per month in Hot Springs, AR and $2,907 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hot Springs, AR, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $593 per month in Hot Springs, AR and $1,001 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in San Jose, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hot Springs, AR, where all-in costs run around $1,710, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Hot Springs, AR it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hot Springs, AR costs $1,710 versus $1,938 in San Jose. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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