Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Livingston, TX and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,037 in Livingston, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Livingston, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

98

Cost of Living Index in Livingston, TX
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Livingston, TX Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Livingston, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,037

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,037 per month in Livingston, TX vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Livingston, TX $2,037
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $2,765 per month in Livingston, TX vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Livingston, TX $2,765
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $3,492 per month in Livingston, TX vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Livingston, TX $3,492
San Jose $3,929

Livingston, TX costs about 6% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Livingston, TX and San Jose sit above the global median – Livingston, TX by 50%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.80 $19.80

$12.29 ₡5,513

61.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 $64.5

$62.3 ₡27.9K

3.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.53 ₡5,171

11.88%

Cappuccino

$5.26 $5.26

$4.35 ₡1,953

20.92%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$2.64 ₡1,183

6.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.86 ₡836

-3.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$3.32 ₡1,490

52.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.52 ₡2,026

21.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.39 ₡1,073

-53.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.08 ₡1,381

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.50 ₡1,119

77.20%

Eggs

$3.11 $3.11

$3.48 ₡1,562

-10.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 $8.54

$10.74 ₡4,815

-20.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.71 $14.71

$10.32 ₡4,629

42.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.84 $12.84

$14.10 ₡6,325

-8.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$5.03 ₡2,256

-13.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.59 ₡714

22.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$4.84 ₡2,171

-53.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$3.96 ₡1,776

-28.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.76 ₡1,684

-10.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.73 ₡1,674

-12.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.08 ₡485

125.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.25 ₡1,456

-5.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 $5.97

$5.86 ₡2,627

1.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 $11.68

$20.28 ₡9,095

-42.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.90 ₡1,300

-26.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$3.73 ₡1,673

-51.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.80 $14.80

$8.71 ₡3,904

69.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.58 ₡709

-46.20%

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

$48.2K $48.2K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

43.31%

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

$24.2K $24.2K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-41.99%

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

$242 $242

$93.7 ₡42.0K

158.68%

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

$58.7 $58.7

$35.42 ₡15.9K

65.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$60.0 ₡26.9K

14.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.82 $9.82

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-86.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$12.82 $12.82

$7.74 ₡3,471

65.63%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.46 $24.46

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-66.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.64 $19.64

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-64.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 $91.0

$128 ₡57.5K

-29.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 $65.6

$130 ₡58.5K

-49.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 $1,021

$932 ₡418.0K

9.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$867 $867

$760 ₡340.8K

14.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 $1,216

$1,922 ₡862.0K

-36.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 $1,016

$1,276 ₡572.1K

-20.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,957 $3,957

$1,029 ₡461.3K

284.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.71

8.62

-22.16%

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

Last update for Livingston, TX: October 18, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Livingston, TX

$867 42.6%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 12.4% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Livingston, TX

$370 18.2%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 48.9% $181

Groceries & Markets

Livingston, TX

$359 17.6%

San Jose

$403 21% 12.2% $44

Eating Out

Livingston, TX

$315 15.5%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 27.4% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Livingston, TX

$90 4.4%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 92.9% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Livingston, TX

$35 1.7%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 148% $53

Getting Around

Livingston, TX

- * 0%

San Jose

$80 4.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Livingston, TX versus $932 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 285% higher in Livingston, TX, 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 $65.0 in Livingston, TX versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $359 in Livingston, TX vs $403 in San Jose – so Livingston, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Livingston, TX

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

10:34 10:34 AM

09:34 9:34 AM

1 h behind Livingston, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,400

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

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Highest

Between locations

Livingston, TX San Jose 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Livingston, TX
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

Livingston, TX vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Livingston, TX costs about 6% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,056 per month in Livingston, TX and $2,886 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,037 in Livingston, TX and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 6%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Livingston, TX – 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 $1,924, than in Livingston, TX at $2,037. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Livingston, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,924 versus $2,037 in Livingston, TX. 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, Livingston, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.