Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lincoln, NE and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,250 in Lincoln, NE, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Lincoln, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,250

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,250 in Lincoln, NE versus $1,949 in San Jose.

Lincoln, NE $2,250
San Jose $1,949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,309 in Lincoln, NE versus $2,903 in San Jose.

Lincoln, NE $3,309
San Jose $2,903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lincoln, NE versus $3,857 in San Jose.

Lincoln, NE $4,368
San Jose $3,857

Living in Lincoln, NE is roughly 15% 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: Lincoln, NE 68% above, San Jose 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.25 $20.25

$12.22 ₡5,510

65.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$60.1 ₡27.1K

31.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$11.77 ₡5,305

3.82%

Cappuccino

$5.46 $5.46

$4.30 ₡1,939

26.98%

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

$2.28 $2.28

$2.72 ₡1,226

-16.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.84 ₡830

-5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.28 ₡1,480

52.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 $9.13

$4.36 ₡1,966

109.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.38 ₡1,074

-63.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.12 ₡1,408

-0.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.19 $6.19

$2.41 ₡1,086

156.85%

Eggs

$4.60 $4.60

$3.47 ₡1,564

32.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 $11.62

$10.57 ₡4,767

9.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 $8.36

$10.56 ₡4,758

-20.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.70 $14.70

$13.75 ₡6,196

6.91%

Apples (1kg)

$6.63 $6.63

$5.04 ₡2,274

31.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.61 ₡727

29.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$4.59 ₡2,069

26.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.84 ₡1,731

9.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.77 ₡1,700

-8.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.76 ₡1,693

2.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.12 ₡506

69.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.20 ₡1,441

-17.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.73 $9.73

$5.84 ₡2,632

66.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.90 $16.90

$19.73 ₡8,897

-14.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.75 ₡1,240

-34.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.66 ₡1,650

-30.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.12 ₡503

51.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.02 $35.02

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-46.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.46 ₡1,110

104.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.54 ₡692

21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.54 $34.54

$8.46 ₡3,815

308.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.55 ₡699

-32.90%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

63.66%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-27.39%

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

$142 $142

$94.7 ₡42.7K

50.13%

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

$48.30 $48.30

$35.11 ₡15.8K

37.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$58.6 ₡26.4K

10.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 $55.6

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-22.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.15 $26.15

$25.19 ₡11.4K

3.81%

Cinema Ticket

$14.88 $14.88

$7.83 ₡3,532

90.04%

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

$839 $839

$971 ₡437.9K

-13.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.72 $48.72

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-31.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.40 $35.40

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-35.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 $87.7

$129 ₡58.2K

-32.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$133 ₡60.0K

-11.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 $1,083

$934 ₡420.9K

15.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$964 $964

$770 ₡347.2K

25.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$1,945 ₡876.7K

-17.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$1,316 ₡593.5K

10.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,853 $1,853

$2,277 ₡1.0M

-18.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,889 $1,889

$1,795 ₡809.1K

5.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,812 $3,812

$1,006 ₡453.5K

278.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

8.62

-26.10%

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

Last update for Lincoln, NE: October 3, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lincoln, NE

$964 43.6%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 20.1% $194

Groceries & Markets

Lincoln, NE

$398 18%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 0.1% $0.6

Eating Out

Lincoln, NE

$324 14.6%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 29.5% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lincoln, NE

$255 11.5%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 26.2% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Lincoln, NE

$130 5.9%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 34.3% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Lincoln, NE

$85 3.9%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 2.9% $2.5

Getting Around

Lincoln, NE

$56 2.5%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 41.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,083 in Lincoln, NE and $934 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lincoln, NE pays 279% 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: $79.0 in Lincoln, NE vs $60.0 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $398 vs $399, with Lincoln, NE cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lincoln, NE

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

04:51 4:51 AM

1 h behind Lincoln, NE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

277,348

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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 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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Highest

Between locations

Lincoln, NE San Jose 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Lincoln, 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

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

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Lincoln, NE. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 279% higher in Lincoln, 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: $1,083 in Lincoln, NE versus $934 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $79.0 in Lincoln, NE. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,250 per month in Lincoln, NE versus $1,949 in San Jose – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,949 in San Jose versus $2,250 in Lincoln, NE, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Lincoln, NE. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,949 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lincoln, 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 15% less than in Lincoln, NE. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.