Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lowell, MA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,623 in Lowell, MA, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lowell, MA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

127

Cost of Living Index in Lowell, MA
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Lowell, MA Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Lowell, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,623

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,623 per month in Lowell, MA vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Lowell, MA $2,623
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $4,189 per month in Lowell, MA vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Lowell, MA $4,189
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $5,755 per month in Lowell, MA vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Lowell, MA $5,755
San Jose $4,054

Lowell, MA costs about 24% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lowell, MA and San Jose sit above the global median – Lowell, MA by 94%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.58 $16.58

$12.37 ₡5,563

34.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 $71.2

$62.4 ₡28.0K

14.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 $8.79

$11.71 ₡5,264

-24.94%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$4.54 ₡2,040

9.03%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$2.75 ₡1,238

-26.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.86 ₡837

-11.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.08 $5.08

$3.35 ₡1,505

51.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.84 $7.84

$4.32 ₡1,944

81.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.36 ₡1,061

-63.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.07 ₡1,379

-27.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.51 ₡1,128

112.75%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$3.53 ₡1,585

10.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.25 $11.25

$10.54 ₡4,738

6.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$10.57 ₡4,754

-16.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 $17.87

$13.92 ₡6,261

28.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.20 ₡2,338

-47.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.65 ₡740

-26.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$4.89 ₡2,198

34.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$3.84 ₡1,728

47.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$3.91 ₡1,757

-58.82%

Onion (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$3.76 ₡1,692

14.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.12 ₡504

108.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.22 ₡1,447

-30.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$6.02 ₡2,706

130.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 $13.77

$19.84 ₡8,919

-30.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.81 ₡1,264

-39.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.65 ₡1,643

6.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.08 ₡487

71.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.6 $54.6

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-16.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 $3.87

$2.26 ₡1,018

71.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.78 ₡799

-5.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.74 $28.74

$7.90 ₡3,551

263.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.50 ₡673

-40.00%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-18.99%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-35.96%

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

$188 $188

$93.2 ₡41.9K

101.28%

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

$52.2 $52.2

$36.13 ₡16.2K

44.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.4 $66.4

$60.6 ₡27.2K

9.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.27 $39.27

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-43.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.32 $12.32

$24.94 ₡11.2K

-50.60%

Cinema Ticket

$14.07 $14.07

$7.67 ₡3,449

83.44%

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

$1,396 $1,396

$972 ₡436.9K

43.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.3K $44.3K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

134.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-19.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.87 $37.87

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-33.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 $78.6

$129 ₡57.8K

-38.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 $70.5

$131 ₡58.8K

-46.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,647 $1,647

$1,170 ₡525.9K

40.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 $1,423

$943 ₡424.1K

50.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,643 $3,643

$1,984 ₡892.0K

83.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,097 $3,097

$1,400 ₡629.5K

121.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,527 $3,527

$2,681 ₡1.2M

31.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,540 $3,540

$2,037 ₡915.8K

73.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,031 $4,031

$987 ₡443.6K

308.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

8.62

-29.23%

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

Last update for Lowell, MA: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lowell, MA

$1.4K 54.2%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 33.7% $479

Groceries & Markets

Lowell, MA

$368 14.1%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 9.3% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lowell, MA

$306 11.7%

San Jose

$190 9% 38% $116

Eating Out

Lowell, MA

$274 10.5%

San Jose

$232 11% 15.2% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Lowell, MA

$110 4.2%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 58.6% $64

Getting Around

Lowell, MA

$74 2.8%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 8.6% $6.4

Sport & Entertainment

Lowell, MA

$67 2.6%

San Jose

$84 4% 25% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,647 in Lowell, MA 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 Lowell, MA are about 4.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Lowell, MA versus $62 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $368 in Lowell, MA vs $403 in San Jose – so Lowell, MA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lowell, MA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

07:33 7:33 AM

06:33 6:33 AM

1 h behind Lowell, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,519

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lowell, MA San Jose 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Lowell, MA
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

Lowell, MA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lowell, MA is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,934 per month in Lowell, MA and $3,161 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,647 in Lowell, MA.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Lowell, MA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,396 per month in Lowell, MA and $972 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Lowell, MA at $2,623. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lowell, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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