Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ithaca, NY and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,831 in Ithaca, NY, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ithaca, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

137

Cost of Living Index in Ithaca, NY
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Ithaca, NY Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Ithaca, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,831

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,831 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $2,831
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,871 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $3,871
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $4,911 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $4,911
San Jose $4,054

Ithaca, NY costs about 34% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ithaca, NY and San Jose sit above the global median – Ithaca, NY by 109%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.84 $19.84

$12.37 ₡5,563

60.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$62.4 ₡28.0K

29.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 $10.97

$11.71 ₡5,264

-6.32%

Cappuccino

$4.92 $4.92

$4.54 ₡2,040

8.37%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$2.75 ₡1,238

-5.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.86 ₡837

-8.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.36 $5.36

$3.35 ₡1,505

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 $7.11

$4.32 ₡1,944

64.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.36 ₡1,061

-58.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.07 ₡1,379

4.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$2.51 ₡1,128

178.49%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$3.53 ₡1,585

15.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.25 $14.25

$10.54 ₡4,738

35.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$10.57 ₡4,754

-15.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.11 $15.11

$13.92 ₡6,261

8.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$5.20 ₡2,338

-5.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.65 ₡740

12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$4.89 ₡2,198

14.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$3.84 ₡1,728

20.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.91 ₡1,757

-19.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.76 ₡1,692

-2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.12 ₡504

101.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.22 ₡1,447

-36.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.66 $14.66

$6.02 ₡2,706

143.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 $14.25

$19.84 ₡8,919

-28.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.81 ₡1,264

-34.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$3.65 ₡1,643

7.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.08 ₡487

40.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.59 $45.59

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-30.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.26 ₡1,018

119.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.78 ₡799

-23.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.44 $30.44

$7.90 ₡3,551

285.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.50 ₡673

-29.33%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-17.30%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-36.54%

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

$165 $165

$93.2 ₡41.9K

76.97%

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

$47.57 $47.57

$36.13 ₡16.2K

31.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 $50.5

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-16.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.49 $34.49

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-49.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 $10.82

$7.67 ₡3,449

41.07%

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

$1,496 $1,496

$972 ₡436.9K

53.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K $16.8K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-10.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.80 $47.80

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-32.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 $40.20

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-29.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 $68.9

$129 ₡57.8K

-46.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$131 ₡58.8K

-17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,276 $2,276

$1,170 ₡525.9K

94.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,626 $1,626

$943 ₡424.1K

72.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 $3,435

$1,984 ₡892.0K

73.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,159 $2,159

$1,400 ₡629.5K

54.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 $2,632

$2,681 ₡1.2M

-1.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,032 $2,032

$2,037 ₡915.8K

-0.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,027 $3,027

$987 ₡443.6K

206.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

8.62

-25.06%

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

Last update for Ithaca, NY: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ithaca, NY

$1.6K 57.4%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 42% $682

Groceries & Markets

Ithaca, NY

$396 14%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 1.8% $7.2

Eating Out

Ithaca, NY

$309 10.9%

San Jose

$232 11% 24.8% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ithaca, NY

$263 9.3%

San Jose

$190 9% 27.8% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Ithaca, NY

$119 4.2%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 46.4% $55

Getting Around

Ithaca, NY

$63 2.2%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 27.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Ithaca, NY

$56 2%

San Jose

$84 4% 50.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,276 in Ithaca, NY 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 Ithaca, NY are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Ithaca, NY versus $62 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $396 in Ithaca, NY vs $403 in San Jose – so Ithaca, NY wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ithaca, NY

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

03:09 3:09 AM

1 h behind Ithaca, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,283

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

Ithaca, NY San Jose 3,690 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ithaca, NY
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

Ithaca, NY vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,831 in Ithaca, NY, $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,247 per month in Ithaca, NY 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 $2,276 in Ithaca, NY.

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

Public transport costs about 30% less in Ithaca, NY. 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 $2,107, than in Ithaca, NY at $2,831. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ithaca, NY 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, Ithaca, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.