Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Katy, TX and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,431 in Katy, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Katy, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

118

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Katy, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,431

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,431 per month in Katy, TX vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Katy, TX $2,431
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,672 per month in Katy, TX vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Katy, TX $3,672
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,913 per month in Katy, TX vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Katy, TX $4,913
San Jose $3,929

Katy, TX costs about 26% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Katy, TX and San Jose sit above the global median – Katy, TX by 79%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 $16.86

$12.29 ₡5,513

37.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.5 $60.5

$62.3 ₡27.9K

-2.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 $8.79

$11.53 ₡5,171

-23.76%

Cappuccino

$3.58 $3.58

$4.35 ₡1,953

-17.70%

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

$2.05 $2.05

$2.64 ₡1,183

-22.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.86 ₡836

10.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.32 ₡1,490

18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 $5.46

$4.52 ₡2,026

20.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.39 ₡1,073

-61.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.08 ₡1,381

18.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.50 ₡1,119

19.20%

Eggs

$3.08 $3.08

$3.48 ₡1,562

-11.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 $12.77

$10.74 ₡4,815

18.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 $9.27

$10.32 ₡4,629

-10.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 $16.07

$14.10 ₡6,325

13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$5.03 ₡2,256

-25.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.59 ₡714

-22.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$4.84 ₡2,171

-38.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.96 ₡1,776

-20.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$3.76 ₡1,684

-44.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.73 ₡1,674

-37.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.08 ₡485

63.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 $1.24

$3.25 ₡1,456

-61.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.77 $9.77

$5.86 ₡2,627

66.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 $12.36

$20.28 ₡9,095

-39.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.90 ₡1,300

-39.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$3.73 ₡1,673

-56.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 $4.59

$1.08 ₡486

325.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 $91.0

$65.5 ₡29.4K

38.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.50 ₡1,123

12.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.63 ₡732

-3.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.39 $34.39

$8.71 ₡3,904

294.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.58 ₡709

-48.10%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-3.26%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-41.08%

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

$226 $226

$93.7 ₡42.0K

141.64%

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

$57.4 $57.4

$35.42 ₡15.9K

61.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 $70.7

$60.0 ₡26.9K

17.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.38 $30.38

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-58.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.12 $25.12

$25.83 ₡11.6K

-2.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 $11.93

$7.74 ₡3,471

54.13%

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

$1,004 $1,004

$1,005 ₡450.9K

-0.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K $19.3K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

14.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-27.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.11 $43.11

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-22.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 $86.8

$128 ₡57.5K

-32.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$130 ₡58.5K

-20.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 $1,594

$932 ₡418.0K

71.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 $1,196

$760 ₡340.8K

57.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,601 $2,601

$1,922 ₡862.0K

35.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,268 $2,268

$1,276 ₡572.1K

77.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,028 $2,028

$2,301 ₡1.0M

-11.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,693 $1,693

$1,833 ₡821.9K

-7.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,760 $5,760

$1,029 ₡461.3K

459.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

8.62

-25.64%

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

Last update for Katy, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Katy, TX

$1.2K 49.2%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 36.5% $436

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Katy, TX

$354 14.6%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 46.7% $165

Groceries & Markets

Katy, TX

$326 13.4%

San Jose

$403 21% 23.6% $77

Eating Out

Katy, TX

$251 10.3%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 8.9% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Katy, TX

$129 5.3%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 35.3% $45

Getting Around

Katy, TX

$120 4.9%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 32.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Katy, TX

$54 2.2%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 62.3% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,594 in Katy, TX versus $932 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 460% higher in Katy, 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 $61.0 in Katy, TX versus $62.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $403 – making Katy, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Katy, TX

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

19:11 7:11 PM

18:11 6:11 PM

1 h behind Katy, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,102

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 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

Katy, TX San Jose 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Katy, 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

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

Katy, TX costs about 26% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,646 per month in Katy, TX and $2,886 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 24% cheaper in Katy, TX – 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 $61.0 in Katy, TX and $62.0 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 $1,924, than in Katy, TX at $2,431. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Katy, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,924 versus $2,431 in Katy, TX. 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 San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Katy, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.