Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Irving, TX and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,476 in Irving, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Irving, TX
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Irving, TX Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Irving, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,476

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,476 per month in Irving, TX vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Irving, TX $2,476
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,568 per month in Irving, TX vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Irving, TX $3,568
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $4,660 per month in Irving, TX vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Irving, TX $4,660
San Jose $3,857

Irving, TX costs about 27% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Irving, TX and San Jose sit above the global median – Irving, TX by 85%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.71 $14.71

$12.22 ₡5,510

20.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.2 $75.2

$60.1 ₡27.1K

25.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 $11.03

$11.77 ₡5,305

-6.29%

Cappuccino

$4.79 $4.79

$4.30 ₡1,939

11.40%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$2.72 ₡1,226

-7.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.84 ₡830

-14.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$3.28 ₡1,480

86.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 $5.91

$4.36 ₡1,966

35.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$2.38 ₡1,074

-64.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.12 ₡1,408

-10.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.41 ₡1,086

24.48%

Eggs

$2.73 $2.73

$3.47 ₡1,564

-21.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 $9.61

$10.57 ₡4,767

-9.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 $9.98

$10.56 ₡4,758

-5.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.41 $16.41

$13.75 ₡6,196

19.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.04 ₡2,274

-14.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.61 ₡727

-5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.59 ₡2,069

-27.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.84 ₡1,731

-27.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$3.77 ₡1,700

-48.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$3.76 ₡1,693

-56.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.12 ₡506

33.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.20 ₡1,441

-38.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.91 $9.91

$5.84 ₡2,632

69.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.65 $10.65

$19.73 ₡8,897

-46.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.75 ₡1,240

-38.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.66 ₡1,650

7.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.12 ₡503

175.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$127 $127

$65.1 ₡29.4K

95.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.46 ₡1,110

35.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.54 ₡692

3.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.48 $30.48

$8.46 ₡3,815

260.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.55 ₡699

-41.94%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

23.99%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-27.32%

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

$226 $226

$94.7 ₡42.7K

138.36%

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

$50.4 $50.4

$35.11 ₡15.8K

43.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.2 $67.2

$58.6 ₡26.4K

14.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.37 $30.37

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-57.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$16.20 $16.20

$7.83 ₡3,532

106.90%

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

$1,820 $1,820

$971 ₡437.9K

87.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K $19.9K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

17.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.10 $22.10

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-69.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.20 $25.20

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-54.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.3 $64.3

$129 ₡58.2K

-50.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 $98.9

$133 ₡60.0K

-25.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,525 $1,525

$934 ₡420.9K

63.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 $1,177

$770 ₡347.2K

52.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,775 $2,775

$1,945 ₡876.7K

42.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,934 $1,934

$1,316 ₡593.5K

46.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,703 $3,703

$2,277 ₡1.0M

62.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,453 $2,453

$1,795 ₡809.1K

36.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,498 $4,498

$1,006 ₡453.5K

347.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

8.62

-23.20%

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

Last update for Irving, TX: October 3, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Irving, TX

$1.2K 48.7%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 34.6% $407

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Irving, TX

$343 14.2%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 45.1% $155

Groceries & Markets

Irving, TX

$322 13.3%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 24% $77

Eating Out

Irving, TX

$267 11.1%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 14.6% $39

Getting Around

Irving, TX

$151 6.2%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 47.1% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Irving, TX

$95 3.9%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 84.6% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Irving, TX

$63 2.6%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 39.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,525 in Irving, TX versus $934 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 347% higher in Irving, TX, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Irving, TX versus $60.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $322 in Irving, TX vs $399 in San Jose – so Irving, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Irving, TX

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

02:08 2:08 AM

01:08 1:08 AM

1 h behind Irving, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

256,684

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 451 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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Highest

Between locations

Irving, TX San Jose 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Irving, TX
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

Irving, TX vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irving, TX costs about 27% more than San Jose, 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 $3,713 per month in Irving, TX and $2,924 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,476 in Irving, TX and $1,949 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 27%.

Public transport costs about 95% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Irving, TX at $2,476. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Irving, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,949 versus $2,476 in Irving, TX. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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