Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Beach, NY and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,668 in Long Beach, NY, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Long Beach, NY, United States
San Jose, Costa Rica
Long Beach, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$2,668
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,107
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,668 per month in Long Beach, NY vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Long Beach, NY $2,668
  • San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,969 per month in Long Beach, NY vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Long Beach, NY $3,969
  • San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $5,270 per month in Long Beach, NY vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Long Beach, NY $5,270
  • San Jose $4,054

Long Beach, NY costs about 27% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Long Beach, NY and San Jose sit above the global median – Long Beach, NY by 97%, San Jose by 56%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Long Beach, NY
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.98 $24.98
$12.37 ₡5,563
101.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.4 $78.4
$62.4 ₡28.0K
25.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.21 $11.21
$11.71 ₡5,264
-4.27%
Cappuccino
$5.59 $5.59
$4.54 ₡2,040
23.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 $2.57
$2.75 ₡1,238
-6.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.86 ₡837
-17.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.93 $7.93
$3.35 ₡1,505
136.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.82 $7.82
$4.32 ₡1,944
81.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Long Beach, NY
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 $1.25
$2.36 ₡1,061
-47.03%
White Bread (500g)
$4.29 $4.29
$3.07 ₡1,379
39.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.91 $5.91
$2.51 ₡1,128
135.46%
Eggs
$7.17 $7.17
$3.53 ₡1,585
103.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.00 $13.00
$10.54 ₡4,738
23.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$16.27 $16.27
$10.57 ₡4,754
53.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.01 $17.01
$13.92 ₡6,261
22.20%
Apples (1kg)
$5.40 $5.40
$5.20 ₡2,338
3.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 $1.77
$1.65 ₡740
7.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.31 $4.31
$4.89 ₡2,198
-11.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.32 $5.32
$3.84 ₡1,728
38.54%
Potato (1kg)
$3.10 $3.10
$3.91 ₡1,757
-20.72%
Onion (1kg)
$3.06 $3.06
$3.76 ₡1,692
-18.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.90 $2.90
$1.12 ₡504
158.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.85 $2.85
$3.22 ₡1,447
-11.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.88 $11.88
$6.02 ₡2,706
97.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.71 $14.71
$19.84 ₡8,919
-25.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 $1.77
$2.81 ₡1,264
-37.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.62 $3.62
$3.65 ₡1,643
-0.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Long Beach, NY
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.21 $2.21
$1.08 ₡487
104.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.9 $52.9
$65.2 ₡29.3K
-18.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.98 $2.98
$2.26 ₡1,018
31.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.06 $2.06
$1.78 ₡799
15.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.73 $23.73
$7.90 ₡3,551
200.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.14 $1.14
$1.50 ₡673
-24.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K $28.2K
$33.5K ₡15.1M
-15.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K $25.6K
$42.3K ₡19.0M
-39.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Long Beach, NY
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$175 $175
$93.2 ₡41.9K
87.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.5 $51.5
$36.13 ₡16.2K
42.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.48 $49.48
$60.6 ₡27.2K
-18.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Long Beach, NY
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.47 $35.47
$68.9 ₡31.0K
-48.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.94 ₡11.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.57 $14.57
$7.67 ₡3,449
89.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Long Beach, NY
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,722 $1,722
$972 ₡436.9K
77.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.1K $20.1K
$18.9K ₡8.5M
6.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Long Beach, NY
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.88 $40.88
$70.6 ₡31.8K
-42.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.4 $56.4
$56.7 ₡25.5K
-0.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.8 $76.8
$129 ₡57.8K
-40.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 $101
$131 ₡58.8K
-22.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Long Beach, NY
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,605 $1,605
$1,170 ₡525.9K
37.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,289 $1,289
$943 ₡424.1K
36.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,859 $2,859
$1,984 ₡892.0K
44.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,155 $2,155
$1,400 ₡629.5K
53.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,239 $3,239
$2,681 ₡1.2M
20.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,499 $2,499
$2,037 ₡915.8K
22.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Long Beach, NY
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$987 ₡443.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.72
8.62
-22.04%

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

Last update for Long Beach, NY: 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
Long Beach, NY
$1.3K
San Jose
$943 26.8% $345
Groceries & Markets
Long Beach, NY
$467
San Jose
$403 13.8% $65
Eating Out
Long Beach, NY
$372
San Jose
$232 37.6% $140
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Long Beach, NY
$276
San Jose
$190 31.2% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Long Beach, NY
$124
San Jose
$174 40.4% $50
Getting Around
Long Beach, NY
$75
San Jose
$81 7.5% $5.6
Sport & Entertainment
Long Beach, NY
$65
San Jose
$84 30.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,605 in Long Beach, NY versus $1,170 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Long Beach, NY versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $467 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Long Beach, NY
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
11:19 11:19 AM
10:19 10:19 AM
1 h behind Long Beach, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
469,450
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
  • Long Beach, NY San Jose 3,560 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Long Beach, NY
  • 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
Long Beach, NY vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Long Beach, NY or San Jose?
Long Beach, NY costs about 27% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Long Beach, NY and in San Jose?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,002 per month in Long Beach, NY and $3,161 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Long Beach, NY or San Jose?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,605 in Long Beach, NY.
How do dining costs compare in Long Beach, NY and in San Jose?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Long Beach, NY and $62 in San Jose. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Long Beach, NY compared to San Jose?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,668 in Long Beach, NY and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 21% cheaper.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Long Beach, NY or in San Jose?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Long Beach, NY at $2,668. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Long Beach, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward San Jose – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Long Beach, NY vs other spots: cost of living compared

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