Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lawrence, KS and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,242 in Lawrence, KS, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lawrence, KS
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Lawrence, KS Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Lawrence, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,242

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,242 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $2,242
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,313 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $3,313
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $4,383 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $4,383
San Jose $3,857

Lawrence, KS costs about 15% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lawrence, KS and San Jose sit above the global median – Lawrence, KS by 67%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.03 $15.03

$12.22 ₡5,510

23.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$60.1 ₡27.1K

25.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 $10.97

$11.77 ₡5,305

-6.80%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$4.30 ₡1,939

18.14%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$2.72 ₡1,226

-8.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.84 ₡830

-1.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.28 ₡1,480

79.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 $7.37

$4.36 ₡1,966

69.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$2.38 ₡1,074

-65.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.12 ₡1,408

0.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.41 ₡1,086

78.84%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$3.47 ₡1,564

12.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$10.57 ₡4,767

4.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 $12.67

$10.56 ₡4,758

19.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.68 $16.68

$13.75 ₡6,196

21.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$5.04 ₡2,274

7.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.61 ₡727

31.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.59 ₡2,069

7.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.84 ₡1,731

7.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$3.77 ₡1,700

-52.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.76 ₡1,693

-21.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.12 ₡506

50.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.20 ₡1,441

-11.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 $7.06

$5.84 ₡2,632

20.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 $14.16

$19.73 ₡8,897

-28.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.75 ₡1,240

-36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.66 ₡1,650

-54.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.46 ₡1,110

20.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.54 ₡692

-11.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.50 $25.50

$8.46 ₡3,815

201.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.55 ₡699

-39.35%

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

$22.6K $22.6K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

4.27%

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

$24.1K $24.1K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-30.98%

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

$279 $279

$94.7 ₡42.7K

194.17%

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

$63.7 $63.7

$35.11 ₡15.8K

81.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$58.6 ₡26.4K

10.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.86 $44.86

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-37.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.06 $12.06

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-52.12%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 $12.24

$7.83 ₡3,532

56.32%

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

$992 $992

$971 ₡437.9K

2.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K $19.4K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

14.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 $51.8

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-27.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 $39.24

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-28.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 $79.4

$129 ₡58.2K

-38.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$133 ₡60.0K

-23.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 $1,191

$934 ₡420.9K

27.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$907 $907

$770 ₡347.2K

17.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 $1,944

$1,945 ₡876.7K

-0.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 $1,665

$1,316 ₡593.5K

26.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,365 $2,365

$2,277 ₡1.0M

3.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,795 ₡809.1K

17.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,805 $3,805

$1,006 ₡453.5K

278.24%

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 Lawrence, KS: 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

Lawrence, KS

$907 41.6%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 15.1% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lawrence, KS

$407 18.6%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 53.7% $218

Groceries & Markets

Lawrence, KS

$391 17.9%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 1.9% $7.6

Eating Out

Lawrence, KS

$275 12.6%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 17.2% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Lawrence, KS

$123 5.6%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 42.7% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Lawrence, KS

$69 3.2%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 26.7% $19

Getting Around

Lawrence, KS

$9.7 * 0.5%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 719% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,191 in Lawrence, KS 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 278% higher in Lawrence, KS, 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 $76.0 in Lawrence, KS versus $60.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $391 in Lawrence, KS vs $399 in San Jose – so Lawrence, KS wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lawrence, KS

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

02:54 2:54 AM

1 h behind Lawrence, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,358

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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Between locations

Lawrence, KS San Jose 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lawrence, KS
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

Lawrence, KS vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lawrence, KS costs about 15% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,363 per month in Lawrence, KS 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Lawrence, KS and $60.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Lawrence, KS – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Lawrence, KS at $2,242. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lawrence, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,949 versus $2,242 in Lawrence, KS. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lawrence, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.