Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kennesaw, GA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Kennesaw, GA: $1,272 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kennesaw, GA, United States
San Jose, Costa Rica
Kennesaw, GA
🇺🇸 United States
$1,272
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,107
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,272 in Kennesaw, GA versus $2,107 in San Jose.

  • Kennesaw, GA $1,272
  • San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,993 in Kennesaw, GA versus $3,081 in San Jose.

  • Kennesaw, GA $1,993
  • San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,714 in Kennesaw, GA versus $4,054 in San Jose.

  • Kennesaw, GA $2,714
  • San Jose $4,054

Living in Kennesaw, GA costs roughly 40% less than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kennesaw, GA is 6% below, San Jose is 56% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kennesaw, GA
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.60 $16.60
$12.37 ₡5,563
34.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.5 $64.5
$62.4 ₡28.0K
3.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 $8.81
$11.71 ₡5,264
-24.77%
Cappuccino
$5.45 $5.45
$4.54 ₡2,040
20.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 $2.57
$2.75 ₡1,238
-6.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.22 $1.22
$1.86 ₡837
-34.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.97 $4.97
$3.35 ₡1,505
48.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.13 $6.13
$4.32 ₡1,944
41.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kennesaw, GA
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$2.36 ₡1,061
-57.63%
White Bread (500g)
$3.07 $3.07
$3.07 ₡1,379
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.95 $1.95
$2.51 ₡1,128
-22.31%
Eggs
$4.09 $4.09
$3.53 ₡1,585
15.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.55 $9.55
$10.54 ₡4,738
-9.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.25 $10.25
$10.57 ₡4,754
-3.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.73 $15.73
$13.92 ₡6,261
13.00%
Apples (1kg)
$6.55 $6.55
$5.20 ₡2,338
25.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 $1.38
$1.65 ₡740
-16.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$8.20 $8.20
$4.89 ₡2,198
67.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$3.84 ₡1,728
43.75%
Potato (1kg)
$4.76 $4.76
$3.91 ₡1,757
21.74%
Onion (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$3.76 ₡1,692
15.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.86 $2.86
$1.12 ₡504
155.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.75 $2.75
$3.22 ₡1,447
-14.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.62 $8.62
$6.02 ₡2,706
43.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.73 $14.73
$19.84 ₡8,919
-25.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.31 $2.31
$2.81 ₡1,264
-17.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.62 $3.62
$3.65 ₡1,643
-0.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Kennesaw, GA
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.08 ₡487
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$65.2 ₡29.3K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 $3.02
$2.26 ₡1,018
33.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 $1.63
$1.78 ₡799
-8.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.42 $29.42
$7.90 ₡3,551
272.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.77 $0.77
$1.50 ₡673
-48.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.5K $26.5K
$33.5K ₡15.1M
-20.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.4K $25.4K
$42.3K ₡19.0M
-39.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kennesaw, GA
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$270 $270
$93.2 ₡41.9K
189.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$57.5 $57.5
$36.13 ₡16.2K
59.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.6 $51.6
$60.6 ₡27.2K
-14.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kennesaw, GA
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$68.9 ₡31.0K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.94 ₡11.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.30 $16.30
$7.67 ₡3,449
112.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kennesaw, GA
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,375 $1,375
$972 ₡436.9K
41.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.0K $19.0K
$18.9K ₡8.5M
0.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kennesaw, GA
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.0 $58.0
$70.6 ₡31.8K
-17.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.54 $38.54
$56.7 ₡25.5K
-32.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 $110
$129 ₡57.8K
-14.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$157 $157
$131 ₡58.8K
20.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kennesaw, GA
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,563 $1,563
$1,170 ₡525.9K
33.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$943 ₡424.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,113 $2,113
$1,984 ₡892.0K
6.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,400 ₡629.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,681 ₡1.2M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,037 ₡915.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kennesaw, GA
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$7,863 $7,863
$987 ₡443.6K
696.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.69
8.62
-22.39%

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

Last update for Kennesaw, GA: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Kennesaw, GA
$409
San Jose
$403 1.5% $6.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kennesaw, GA
$379
San Jose
$190 49.9% $189
Eating Out
Kennesaw, GA
$277
San Jose
$232 16.1% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Kennesaw, GA
$164
San Jose
$174 6.4% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Kennesaw, GA
$33 *
San Jose
$84 159% $52
Getting Around
Kennesaw, GA
$11 *
San Jose
$81 622% $70
Accommodation & Living
Kennesaw, GA
- *
San Jose
$943

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 $1,563 in Kennesaw, GA and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kennesaw, GA pays about 8 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65 in Kennesaw, GA vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Kennesaw, GA
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
12:00 12:00 PM
11:00 11:00 AM
1 h behind Kennesaw, GA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
34,344
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kennesaw, GA San Jose 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Kennesaw, GA
  • 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
Kennesaw, GA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kennesaw, GA or San Jose?
Kennesaw, GA wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in San Jose. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kennesaw, GA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Kennesaw, GA or in San Jose?
Average pay in Kennesaw, GA is about 8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Kennesaw, GA compared to San Jose?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,563 in Kennesaw, GA versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Kennesaw, GA compared to San Jose?
All in, you’ll spend $1,272 per month in Kennesaw, GA versus $2,107 in San Jose – Kennesaw, GA is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How do dining costs compare in Kennesaw, GA and in San Jose?
Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62 versus $65 in Kennesaw, GA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Kennesaw, GA or in San Jose?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Kennesaw, GA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Kennesaw, GA or San Jose?
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.

Kennesaw, GA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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