Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jackson, TN and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,181 in Jackson, TN, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Jackson, TN outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

106

Cost of Living Index in Jackson, TN
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Jackson, TN Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Jackson, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,181

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,181 per month in Jackson, TN vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Jackson, TN $2,181
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,079 per month in Jackson, TN vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Jackson, TN $3,079
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $3,978 per month in Jackson, TN vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Jackson, TN $3,978
San Jose $3,857

Jackson, TN costs about 12% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jackson, TN and San Jose sit above the global median – Jackson, TN by 63%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 $17.24

$12.22 ₡5,510

41.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.79 $49.79

$60.1 ₡27.1K

-17.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 $10.64

$11.77 ₡5,305

-9.60%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$4.30 ₡1,939

15.35%

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

$2.36 $2.36

$2.72 ₡1,226

-13.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.84 ₡830

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.28 ₡1,480

21.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 $5.03

$4.36 ₡1,966

15.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$2.38 ₡1,074

-63.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.12 ₡1,408

-3.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.41 ₡1,086

13.28%

Eggs

$4.16 $4.16

$3.47 ₡1,564

19.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.74 $9.74

$10.57 ₡4,767

-7.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 $9.56

$10.56 ₡4,758

-9.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 $14.02

$13.75 ₡6,196

1.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$5.04 ₡2,274

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.61 ₡727

-14.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$4.59 ₡2,069

-39.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.84 ₡1,731

-22.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$3.77 ₡1,700

-51.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$3.76 ₡1,693

-38.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.12 ₡506

73.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$3.20 ₡1,441

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.69 $8.69

$5.84 ₡2,632

48.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.15 $13.15

$19.73 ₡8,897

-33.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.75 ₡1,240

-37.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.66 ₡1,650

-43.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.12 ₡503

8.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.36 $35.36

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-45.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.46 ₡1,110

-19.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.54 ₡692

-20.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.70 $19.70

$8.46 ₡3,815

132.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.55 ₡699

-46.45%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

58.72%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-27.41%

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

$169 $169

$94.7 ₡42.7K

78.14%

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

$66.5 $66.5

$35.11 ₡15.8K

89.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.7 $72.7

$58.6 ₡26.4K

24.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 $50.4

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-30.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.9 $50.9

$25.19 ₡11.4K

101.87%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 $10.87

$7.83 ₡3,532

38.83%

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

$1,136 $1,136

$971 ₡437.9K

16.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,428 $8,428

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-50.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 $51.9

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-27.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.61 $36.61

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-33.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.7 $64.7

$129 ₡58.2K

-49.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$133 ₡60.0K

-24.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 $1,212

$934 ₡420.9K

29.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 $1,032

$770 ₡347.2K

33.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 $1,662

$1,945 ₡876.7K

-14.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$1,316 ₡593.5K

22.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,706 $1,706

$2,277 ₡1.0M

-25.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,704 $1,704

$1,795 ₡809.1K

-5.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 $4,135

$1,006 ₡453.5K

311.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

8.62

-24.25%

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

Last update for Jackson, TN: October 4, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jackson, TN

$1K 47.6%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 25.3% $261

Groceries & Markets

Jackson, TN

$319 14.7%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 25% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jackson, TN

$308 14.2%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 38.8% $120

Eating Out

Jackson, TN

$276 12.7%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 17.4% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Jackson, TN

$114 5.3%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 53.1% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Jackson, TN

$72 3.3%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 21.8% $16

Getting Around

Jackson, TN

$48 2.2%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 64.9% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,212 in Jackson, TN 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 311% higher in Jackson, TN, 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 $50.0 in Jackson, TN versus $60.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $319 vs $399 – making Jackson, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jackson, TN

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

02:08 2:08 AM

01:08 1:08 AM

1 h behind Jackson, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

153,701

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

Jackson, TN San Jose 2,900 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Jackson, TN
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

Jackson, TN vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,181 in Jackson, TN, $1,949 in San Jose – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,271 per month in Jackson, TN 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 25% cheaper in Jackson, TN – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Jackson, TN and $60.0 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 $1,949, than in Jackson, TN at $2,181. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jackson, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,949 in San Jose to $2,181 in Jackson, TN. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jackson, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.