Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Howell Township, NJ and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,681 in Howell Township, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Howell Township, NJ
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Howell Township, NJ Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Howell Township, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,681

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,681 in Howell Township, NJ versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Howell Township, NJ $2,681
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,888 in Howell Township, NJ versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Howell Township, NJ $3,888
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,094 in Howell Township, NJ versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Howell Township, NJ $5,094
San Jose $4,054

Living in Howell Township, NJ is roughly 27% 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: Howell Township, NJ 98% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.17 $20.17

$12.37 ₡5,563

63.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 $75.0

$62.4 ₡28.0K

20.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.47 $11.47

$11.71 ₡5,264

-2.05%

Cappuccino

$5.19 $5.19

$4.54 ₡2,040

14.32%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$2.75 ₡1,238

-1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.86 ₡837

4.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 $6.15

$3.35 ₡1,505

83.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.33 $7.33

$4.32 ₡1,944

69.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.36 ₡1,061

-38.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.07 ₡1,379

28.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$2.51 ₡1,128

60.56%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$3.53 ₡1,585

20.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.26 $12.26

$10.54 ₡4,738

16.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 $12.00

$10.57 ₡4,754

13.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.94 $16.94

$13.92 ₡6,261

21.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$5.20 ₡2,338

2.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.65 ₡740

-22.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.89 ₡2,198

-7.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.84 ₡1,728

17.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.91 ₡1,757

-19.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.76 ₡1,692

-29.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.12 ₡504

67.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$3.22 ₡1,447

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.94 $9.94

$6.02 ₡2,706

65.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 $14.95

$19.84 ₡8,919

-24.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.81 ₡1,264

-40.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.65 ₡1,643

-12.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.08 ₡487

62.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-9.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.26 ₡1,018

74.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.78 ₡799

-8.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.46 $26.46

$7.90 ₡3,551

234.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.50 ₡673

-25.33%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-19.09%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-31.98%

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

$198 $198

$93.2 ₡41.9K

112.54%

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

$58.6 $58.6

$36.13 ₡16.2K

62.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$127 $127

$60.6 ₡27.2K

109.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.27 $40.27

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-41.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$14.12 $14.12

$7.67 ₡3,449

84.09%

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

$1,206 $1,206

$972 ₡436.9K

24.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K $19.1K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

1.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.29 $47.29

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-33.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.60 $38.60

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-31.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 $90.0

$129 ₡57.8K

-30.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$131 ₡58.8K

-12.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 $1,556

$1,170 ₡525.9K

33.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 $1,293

$943 ₡424.1K

37.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,600 $2,600

$1,984 ₡892.0K

31.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,108 $2,108

$1,400 ₡629.5K

50.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,808 $2,808

$2,681 ₡1.2M

4.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,679 $2,679

$2,037 ₡915.8K

31.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,001 $3,001

$987 ₡443.6K

204.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

8.62

-23.55%

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

Last update for Howell Township, NJ: 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

Howell Township, NJ

$1.3K 48.2%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 27.1% $350

Groceries & Markets

Howell Township, NJ

$404 15.1%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 0.4% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Howell Township, NJ

$383 14.3%

San Jose

$190 9% 50.5% $194

Eating Out

Howell Township, NJ

$322 12%

San Jose

$232 11% 27.9% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Howell Township, NJ

$131 4.9%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 33.1% $43

Getting Around

Howell Township, NJ

$78 2.9%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 2.9% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Howell Township, NJ

$69 2.6%

San Jose

$84 4% 23% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,556 in Howell Township, NJ and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Howell Township, NJ pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Howell Township, NJ vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Howell Township, NJ

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

12:43 12:43 PM

11:43 11:43 AM

1 h behind Howell Township, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,000

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 = 0.89 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

Howell Township, NJ San Jose 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Howell Township, NJ
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

Howell Township, NJ vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Howell Township, NJ is about 3 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: $1,556 in Howell Township, NJ versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Howell Township, NJ runs roughly 9% less than in San Jose. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,681 per month in Howell Township, NJ versus $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,681 in Howell Township, NJ, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Howell Township, NJ. 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, Howell Township, NJ on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.