Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marietta, GA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,695 in Marietta, GA, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Marietta, GA, United States
San Jose, Costa Rica
Marietta, GA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,695
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,107
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,695 per month in Marietta, GA vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Marietta, GA $2,695
  • San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,946 per month in Marietta, GA vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Marietta, GA $3,946
  • San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $5,197 per month in Marietta, GA vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Marietta, GA $5,197
  • San Jose $4,054

Marietta, GA costs about 28% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Marietta, GA and San Jose sit above the global median – Marietta, GA by 99%, San Jose by 56%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Marietta, GA
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.98 $19.98
$12.37 ₡5,563
61.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.3 $99.3
$62.4 ₡28.0K
59.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.97 $11.97
$11.71 ₡5,264
2.22%
Cappuccino
$5.67 $5.67
$4.54 ₡2,040
24.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 $2.76
$2.75 ₡1,238
0.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.86 ₡837
18.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.46 $6.46
$3.35 ₡1,505
92.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.78 $7.78
$4.32 ₡1,944
80.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Marietta, GA
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.96 $0.96
$2.36 ₡1,061
-59.32%
White Bread (500g)
$3.49 $3.49
$3.07 ₡1,379
13.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.00 $4.00
$2.51 ₡1,128
59.36%
Eggs
$4.20 $4.20
$3.53 ₡1,585
18.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.10 $14.10
$10.54 ₡4,738
33.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.55 $14.55
$10.57 ₡4,754
37.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.56 $19.56
$13.92 ₡6,261
40.52%
Apples (1kg)
$5.64 $5.64
$5.20 ₡2,338
8.46%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 $1.65
$1.65 ₡740
-
Oranges (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$4.89 ₡2,198
-11.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.34 $5.34
$3.84 ₡1,728
39.06%
Potato (1kg)
$3.00 $3.00
$3.91 ₡1,757
-23.27%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 $1.97
$3.76 ₡1,692
-47.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.14 $2.14
$1.12 ₡504
91.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.39 $2.39
$3.22 ₡1,447
-25.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.74 $8.74
$6.02 ₡2,706
45.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.15 $14.15
$19.84 ₡8,919
-28.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 $1.95
$2.81 ₡1,264
-30.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 $3.51
$3.65 ₡1,643
-3.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Marietta, GA
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.52 $2.52
$1.08 ₡487
133.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.6 $79.6
$65.2 ₡29.3K
22.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.46 $3.46
$2.26 ₡1,018
53.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 $1.47
$1.78 ₡799
-17.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.54 $23.54
$7.90 ₡3,551
197.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.98 $0.98
$1.50 ₡673
-34.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.1K $36.1K
$33.5K ₡15.1M
7.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$42.3K ₡19.0M
-38.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marietta, GA
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$222 $222
$93.2 ₡41.9K
138.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$84.0 $84.0
$36.13 ₡16.2K
132.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.6 $74.6
$60.6 ₡27.2K
23.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Marietta, GA
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$82.7 $82.7
$68.9 ₡31.0K
19.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.63 $22.63
$24.94 ₡11.2K
-9.26%
Cinema Ticket
$11.87 $11.87
$7.67 ₡3,449
54.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Marietta, GA
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,096 $1,096
$972 ₡436.9K
12.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K $18.8K
$18.9K ₡8.5M
-0.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Marietta, GA
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.4 $52.4
$70.6 ₡31.8K
-25.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.89 $45.89
$56.7 ₡25.5K
-19.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.6 $97.6
$129 ₡57.8K
-24.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 $108
$131 ₡58.8K
-17.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Marietta, GA
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,387 $1,387
$1,170 ₡525.9K
18.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,211 $1,211
$943 ₡424.1K
28.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,459 $2,459
$1,984 ₡892.0K
23.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,836 $1,836
$1,400 ₡629.5K
31.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,742 $2,742
$2,681 ₡1.2M
2.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,995 $1,995
$2,037 ₡915.8K
-2.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Marietta, GA
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,033 $4,033
$987 ₡443.6K
308.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.66
8.62
-22.74%

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

Last update for Marietta, GA: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Marietta, GA
$1.2K
San Jose
$943 22.1% $268
Groceries & Markets
Marietta, GA
$428
San Jose
$403 6% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marietta, GA
$381
San Jose
$190 50.2% $191
Eating Out
Marietta, GA
$332
San Jose
$232 29.9% $99
Clothing & Footwear
Marietta, GA
$137
San Jose
$174 27.4% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Marietta, GA
$106
San Jose
$84 20.8% $22
Getting Around
Marietta, GA
$100
San Jose
$81 19.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,387 in Marietta, GA 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 Marietta, GA are about 4.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Marietta, GA versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $428 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Marietta, GA
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
10:30 10:30 AM
09:30 9:30 AM
1 h behind Marietta, GA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
61,048
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
  • Marietta, GA San Jose 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Marietta, GA
  • 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
Marietta, GA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Jose cheaper than Marietta, GA?
Yes – Marietta, GA is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,043 per month in Marietta, GA and $3,161 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,387 in Marietta, GA.
How do food prices compare in Marietta, GA and in San Jose?
Groceries cost about 6% more in Marietta, GA, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Marietta, GA or in San Jose?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Marietta, GA and $62 in San Jose. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Marietta, GA or in San Jose?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Marietta, GA at $2,695. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Marietta, GA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Marietta, GA or San Jose more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Marietta, GA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Marietta, GA vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?