Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Worth, FL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,675 in Lake Worth, FL, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lake Worth, FL, United States
San Jose, Costa Rica
Lake Worth, FL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,675
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,107
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,675 in Lake Worth, FL versus $2,107 in San Jose.

  • Lake Worth, FL $2,675
  • San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,725 in Lake Worth, FL versus $3,081 in San Jose.

  • Lake Worth, FL $3,725
  • San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,775 in Lake Worth, FL versus $4,054 in San Jose.

  • Lake Worth, FL $4,775
  • San Jose $4,054

Living in Lake Worth, FL is roughly 27% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lake Worth, FL 98% above, San Jose 56% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lake Worth, FL
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.08 $25.08
$12.37 ₡5,563
102.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.9 $75.9
$62.4 ₡28.0K
21.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.04 $10.04
$11.71 ₡5,264
-14.26%
Cappuccino
$5.06 $5.06
$4.54 ₡2,040
11.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 $2.52
$2.75 ₡1,238
-8.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 $1.86
$1.86 ₡837
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.27 $5.27
$3.35 ₡1,505
57.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.52 $7.52
$4.32 ₡1,944
74.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lake Worth, FL
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.81 $0.81
$2.36 ₡1,061
-65.68%
White Bread (500g)
$3.13 $3.13
$3.07 ₡1,379
1.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.20 $3.20
$2.51 ₡1,128
27.49%
Eggs
$4.73 $4.73
$3.53 ₡1,585
33.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.26 $13.26
$10.54 ₡4,738
25.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.15 $11.15
$10.57 ₡4,754
5.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.81 $14.81
$13.92 ₡6,261
6.39%
Apples (1kg)
$4.70 $4.70
$5.20 ₡2,338
-9.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 $1.50
$1.65 ₡740
-9.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.07 $3.07
$4.89 ₡2,198
-37.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.29 $5.29
$3.84 ₡1,728
37.76%
Potato (1kg)
$2.89 $2.89
$3.91 ₡1,757
-26.09%
Onion (1kg)
$3.47 $3.47
$3.76 ₡1,692
-7.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.12 ₡504
98.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.53 $2.53
$3.22 ₡1,447
-21.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.55 $9.55
$6.02 ₡2,706
58.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.95 $12.95
$19.84 ₡8,919
-34.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 $1.69
$2.81 ₡1,264
-39.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 $3.37
$3.65 ₡1,643
-7.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Lake Worth, FL
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.98 $1.98
$1.08 ₡487
83.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$51.6 $51.6
$65.2 ₡29.3K
-20.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.47 $3.47
$2.26 ₡1,018
53.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.89 $1.89
$1.78 ₡799
6.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.32 $30.32
$7.90 ₡3,551
283.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.05 $1.05
$1.50 ₡673
-30.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K $27.7K
$33.5K ₡15.1M
-17.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.4K $26.4K
$42.3K ₡19.0M
-37.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lake Worth, FL
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$174 $174
$93.2 ₡41.9K
86.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$57.2 $57.2
$36.13 ₡16.2K
58.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$76.0 $76.0
$60.6 ₡27.2K
25.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lake Worth, FL
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.48 $43.48
$68.9 ₡31.0K
-36.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.94 ₡11.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.09 $10.09
$7.67 ₡3,449
31.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lake Worth, FL
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$897 $897
$972 ₡436.9K
-7.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K $17.6K
$18.9K ₡8.5M
-6.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lake Worth, FL
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$65.7 $65.7
$70.6 ₡31.8K
-6.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.52 $41.52
$56.7 ₡25.5K
-26.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 $115
$129 ₡57.8K
-10.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 $104
$131 ₡58.8K
-20.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lake Worth, FL
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,763 $1,763
$1,170 ₡525.9K
50.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,356 $1,356
$943 ₡424.1K
43.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,288 $2,288
$1,984 ₡892.0K
15.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,836 $1,836
$1,400 ₡629.5K
31.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,095 $3,095
$2,681 ₡1.2M
15.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,575 $2,575
$2,037 ₡915.8K
26.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lake Worth, FL
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$7,649 $7,649
$987 ₡443.6K
675.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.56
8.62
-23.90%

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

Last update for Lake Worth, FL: October 31, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lake Worth, FL
$1.4K
San Jose
$943 30.4% $413
Groceries & Markets
Lake Worth, FL
$378
San Jose
$403 6.4% $24
Eating Out
Lake Worth, FL
$350
San Jose
$232 33.7% $118
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lake Worth, FL
$307
San Jose
$190 38.2% $117
Clothing & Footwear
Lake Worth, FL
$147
San Jose
$174 18.4% $27
Getting Around
Lake Worth, FL
$72
San Jose
$81 11.4% $8.3
Sport & Entertainment
Lake Worth, FL
$64
San Jose
$84 32.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,763 in Lake Worth, FL and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lake Worth, FL pays about 7.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $76 in Lake Worth, FL vs $62 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $378 vs $403, with Lake Worth, FL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Lake Worth, FL
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
07:59 7:59 AM
06:59 6:59 AM
1 h behind Lake Worth, FL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
42,000
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
  • Lake Worth, FL San Jose 1,900 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lake Worth, FL
  • 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
Lake Worth, FL vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Jose cheaper than Lake Worth, FL?
San Jose is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Lake Worth, FL or San Jose?
Average pay in Lake Worth, FL is about 7.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Lake Worth, FL and San Jose?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,763 in Lake Worth, FL versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Lake Worth, FL and in San Jose?
All in, you’ll spend $2,675 per month in Lake Worth, FL versus $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Lake Worth, FL runs roughly 21% less than in San Jose. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Lake Worth, FL or in San Jose?
At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,675 in Lake Worth, FL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Lake Worth, FL. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Lake Worth, FL or in 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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Lake Worth, FL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Lake Worth, FL vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?