Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kearney, NE and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,083 in Kearney, NE, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kearney, NE outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in Kearney, NE
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Kearney, NE Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Kearney, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,083

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,083 in Kearney, NE versus $1,924 in San Jose.

Kearney, NE $2,083
San Jose $1,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,931 in Kearney, NE versus $2,926 in San Jose.

Kearney, NE $2,931
San Jose $2,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,780 in Kearney, NE versus $3,929 in San Jose.

Kearney, NE $3,780
San Jose $3,929

Living in Kearney, NE is roughly 8% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kearney, NE 54% above, San Jose 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.29 $15.29

$12.29 ₡5,513

24.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 $61.0

$62.3 ₡27.9K

-2.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 $11.87

$11.53 ₡5,171

2.95%

Cappuccino

$5.12 $5.12

$4.35 ₡1,953

17.70%

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

$2.11 $2.11

$2.64 ₡1,183

-20.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.86 ₡836

-0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.32 ₡1,490

21.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$4.52 ₡2,026

12.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.39 ₡1,073

-63.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.08 ₡1,381

-45.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.50 ₡1,119

47.20%

Eggs

$3.69 $3.69

$3.48 ₡1,562

6.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 $8.79

$10.74 ₡4,815

-18.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$10.32 ₡4,629

-36.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 $15.41

$14.10 ₡6,325

9.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$5.03 ₡2,256

7.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.59 ₡714

33.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$4.84 ₡2,171

-2.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$3.96 ₡1,776

8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$3.76 ₡1,684

-49.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.73 ₡1,674

-19.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.08 ₡485

86.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.25 ₡1,456

-9.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.02 $9.02

$5.86 ₡2,627

53.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 $15.12

$20.28 ₡9,095

-25.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.90 ₡1,300

-37.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.73 ₡1,673

-46.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.50 ₡1,123

19.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.63 ₡732

-17.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.73 $24.73

$8.71 ₡3,904

183.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.58 ₡709

-35.44%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-27.72%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-34.92%

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

$273 $273

$93.7 ₡42.0K

191.62%

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

$62.3 $62.3

$35.42 ₡15.9K

75.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.5 $73.5

$60.0 ₡26.9K

22.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 $56.1

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-22.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.94 $5.94

$25.83 ₡11.6K

-77.00%

Cinema Ticket

$12.42 $12.42

$7.74 ₡3,471

60.47%

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

$992 $992

$1,005 ₡450.9K

-1.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K $19.2K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

13.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.42 $29.42

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-59.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.22 $39.22

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-29.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 $95.6

$128 ₡57.5K

-25.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$130 ₡58.5K

-6.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 $1,018

$932 ₡418.0K

9.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$850 $850

$760 ₡340.8K

11.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 $1,497

$1,922 ₡862.0K

-22.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 $1,224

$1,276 ₡572.1K

-4.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,619 $1,619

$2,301 ₡1.0M

-29.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,585 $1,585

$1,833 ₡821.9K

-13.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,554 $7,554

$1,029 ₡461.3K

634.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for Kearney, NE: October 17, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kearney, NE

$850 40.8%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 10.6% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kearney, NE

$409 19.6%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 53.8% $220

Groceries & Markets

Kearney, NE

$339 16.3%

San Jose

$403 21% 19% $64

Eating Out

Kearney, NE

$266 12.8%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 13.9% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Kearney, NE

$129 6.2%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 35.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Kearney, NE

$81 3.9%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 8.9% $7.2

Getting Around

Kearney, NE

$9.7 * 0.5%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 730% $71

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Kearney, NE and $932 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kearney, NE pays 634% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Kearney, NE vs $62.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $403 per month, with Kearney, NE cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kearney, NE

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

11:06 11:06 AM

1 h behind Kearney, NE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,385

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kearney, NE San Jose 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Kearney, NE
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

Kearney, NE vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kearney, NE and San Jose differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,083 vs $1,924 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 634% higher in Kearney, NE, 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: $1,018 in Kearney, NE versus $932 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kearney, NE pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,083 per month in Kearney, NE versus $1,924 in San Jose – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,083 in Kearney, NE, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Kearney, NE. 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.

Safety-wise, Kearney, NE and San Jose are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Kearney, NE. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.