Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Alamos, NM and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Alamos, NM: $1,065 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Los Alamos, NM
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Los Alamos, NM Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

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Los Alamos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,065

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,065 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $1,065
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $1,652 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $1,652
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $2,239 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $2,239
San Jose $4,054

Los Alamos, NM is about 49% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Los Alamos, NM sits 21% below the global median, while San Jose is 56% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 $17.06

$12.37 ₡5,563

37.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.31 $40.31

$62.4 ₡28.0K

-35.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.71 ₡5,264

-15.63%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$4.54 ₡2,040

9.91%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$2.75 ₡1,238

-6.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.86 ₡837

-20.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.35 ₡1,505

82.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.32 ₡1,944

61.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$2.36 ₡1,061

-59.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.07 ₡1,379

-30.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.51 ₡1,128

80.48%

Eggs

$3.98 $3.98

$3.53 ₡1,585

12.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 $11.84

$10.54 ₡4,738

12.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 $9.66

$10.57 ₡4,754

-8.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.42 $17.42

$13.92 ₡6,261

25.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$5.20 ₡2,338

-6.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.65 ₡740

-9.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$4.89 ₡2,198

-40.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.84 ₡1,728

13.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$3.91 ₡1,757

-72.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.76 ₡1,692

-10.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.12 ₡504

74.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 $0.48

$3.22 ₡1,447

-85.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.03 $11.03

$6.02 ₡2,706

83.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.19 $14.19

$19.84 ₡8,919

-28.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.81 ₡1,264

-14.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.65 ₡1,643

-1.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.26 ₡1,018

76.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.78 ₡799

21.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.85 $34.85

$7.90 ₡3,551

341.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.50 ₡673

-42.00%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-11.93%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-39.66%

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

$159 $159

$93.2 ₡41.9K

70.48%

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

$39.48 $39.48

$36.13 ₡16.2K

9.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 $71.0

$60.6 ₡27.2K

17.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 $13.22

$7.67 ₡3,449

72.36%

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

$1,343 $1,343

$972 ₡436.9K

38.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

22.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.01 $20.01

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-71.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 $42.97

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-24.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$129 ₡57.8K

-19.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$131 ₡58.8K

-8.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 $1,089

$1,170 ₡525.9K

-6.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,868 $1,868

$1,984 ₡892.0K

-5.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,337 $3,337

$2,681 ₡1.2M

24.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,316 $3,316

$2,037 ₡915.8K

62.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,290 $8,290

$987 ₡443.6K

740.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

8.62

-21.58%

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

Last update for Los Alamos, NM: October 31, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Los Alamos, NM

$339 31.8%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 18.8% $64

Eating Out

Los Alamos, NM

$287 26.9%

San Jose

$232 11% 18.9% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Alamos, NM

$269 25.3%

San Jose

$190 9% 29.5% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Los Alamos, NM

$128 12.1%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 35.5% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Los Alamos, NM

$26 * 2.5%

San Jose

$84 4% 219% $58

Getting Around

Los Alamos, NM

$15 * 1.4%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 446% $66

Accommodation & Living

Los Alamos, NM

- * 0%

San Jose

$943 44.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,089 in Los Alamos, NM 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.

Salaries in Los Alamos, NM are about 8.4 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Los Alamos, NM versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $403 – making Los Alamos, NM the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Alamos, NM

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

15:18 3:18 PM

16:18 4:18 PM

1 h ahead of Los Alamos, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,179

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Los Alamos, NM San Jose 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Alamos, NM
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

Los Alamos, NM vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 98%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,597 per month in Los Alamos, NM and $3,161 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,089 in Los Alamos, NM and $1,170 in San Jose. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,065 in Los Alamos, NM and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes Los Alamos, NM about 49% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,343 per month in Los Alamos, NM and $972 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Los Alamos, NM, where all-in costs run around $1,065, than in San Jose at $2,107. In Los Alamos, NM it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,065 in Los Alamos, NM to $2,107 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.