Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manhattan, KS and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,249 in Manhattan, KS, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Manhattan, KS
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Manhattan, KS Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,249

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,249 in Manhattan, KS versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Manhattan, KS $2,249
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Manhattan, KS versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Manhattan, KS $3,271
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,292 in Manhattan, KS versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Manhattan, KS $4,292
San Jose $3,934

Living in Manhattan, KS is roughly 16% 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: Manhattan, KS 67% above, San Jose 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.10 $15.10

$12.38 ₡5,551

21.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$60.9 ₡27.3K

33.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$11.45 ₡5,135

5.68%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$4.39 ₡1,967

23.23%

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

$1.97 $1.97

$2.70 ₡1,211

-27.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.93 ₡864

-23.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.20 ₡1,433

59.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.19 $9.19

$4.41 ₡1,979

108.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$2.44 ₡1,093

-63.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.05 ₡1,369

6.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$2.41 ₡1,081

160.58%

Eggs

$4.48 $4.48

$3.40 ₡1,523

31.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 $11.77

$10.75 ₡4,823

9.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.70 $8.70

$10.43 ₡4,679

-16.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 $14.68

$13.99 ₡6,273

4.93%

Apples (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$5.25 ₡2,353

29.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.59 ₡712

36.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$4.69 ₡2,103

23.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$3.95 ₡1,770

8.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.92 ₡1,760

-14.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.68 ₡1,651

2.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.12 ₡503

64.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.19 ₡1,429

-16.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.57 $9.57

$6.00 ₡2,692

59.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.24 $17.24

$19.56 ₡8,771

-11.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.82 ₡1,263

-39.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.59 ₡1,611

-29.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 $60.8

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-8.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.50 ₡1,119

95.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.63 ₡733

17.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.39 $34.39

$8.50 ₡3,812

304.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.56 ₡701

-41.03%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

57.85%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-28.09%

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

$144 $144

$95.2 ₡42.7K

51.71%

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

$47.66 $47.66

$35.58 ₡16.0K

33.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$58.6 ₡26.3K

12.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.5 $74.5

$72.7 ₡32.6K

2.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 $14.85

$7.58 ₡3,401

95.91%

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

$833 $833

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-16.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K $11.4K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-33.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.15 $48.15

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-31.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.94 $34.94

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-37.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 $89.5

$130 ₡58.2K

-31.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$131 ₡58.7K

-11.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 $927

$927 ₡415.8K

0.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 $998

$774 ₡347.2K

28.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 $1,457

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-25.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 $1,452

$1,288 ₡577.6K

12.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,366 $1,366

$2,274 ₡1.0M

-39.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,400 $1,400

$1,831 ₡821.0K

-23.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,433 $3,433

$1,016 ₡455.8K

237.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

8.62

-26.57%

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

Last update for Manhattan, KS: October 10, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manhattan, KS

$998 44.4%

San Jose

$774 40% 22.4% $224

Groceries & Markets

Manhattan, KS

$404 18%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 0.7% $2.8

Eating Out

Manhattan, KS

$280 12.4%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 18% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manhattan, KS

$258 11.5%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 26.7% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Manhattan, KS

$130 5.8%

San Jose

$174 9% 34.4% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Manhattan, KS

$104 4.6%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 15.7% $16

Getting Around

Manhattan, KS

$75 * 3.4%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 8.8% $6.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in Manhattan, KS and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manhattan, KS pays 238% 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: $81.0 in Manhattan, KS vs $61.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 vs $401 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Manhattan, KS

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

03:33 3:33 AM

02:33 2:33 AM

1 h behind Manhattan, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,694,251

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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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Between locations

Manhattan, KS San Jose 3,480 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Manhattan, KS
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

Manhattan, KS vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 238% higher in Manhattan, KS, 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: $927 in Manhattan, KS versus $927 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $833 in Manhattan, KS versus $1,001 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Manhattan, KS. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,249 in Manhattan, KS, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Manhattan, KS. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Jose is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Manhattan, KS, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Manhattan, KS 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 16% less than in Manhattan, KS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.