Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marquette, MI and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,213 in Marquette, MI, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Marquette, MI, United States
San Jose, Costa Rica
Marquette, MI
🇺🇸 United States
$2,213
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,107
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,213 in Marquette, MI versus $2,107 in San Jose.

  • Marquette, MI $2,213
  • San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,427 in Marquette, MI versus $3,081 in San Jose.

  • Marquette, MI $3,427
  • San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,641 in Marquette, MI versus $4,054 in San Jose.

  • Marquette, MI $4,641
  • San Jose $4,054

Living in Marquette, MI is roughly 5% 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: Marquette, MI 64% above, San Jose 56% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Marquette, MI
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.29 $17.29
$12.37 ₡5,563
39.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.1 $56.1
$62.4 ₡28.0K
-10.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.05 $10.05
$11.71 ₡5,264
-14.18%
Cappuccino
$6.09 $6.09
$4.54 ₡2,040
34.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 $2.55
$2.75 ₡1,238
-7.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.86 ₡837
-17.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.42 $5.42
$3.35 ₡1,505
61.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.90 $6.90
$4.32 ₡1,944
59.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Marquette, MI
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.03 $1.03
$2.36 ₡1,061
-56.36%
White Bread (500g)
$4.26 $4.26
$3.07 ₡1,379
38.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.26 $4.26
$2.51 ₡1,128
69.72%
Eggs
$4.28 $4.28
$3.53 ₡1,585
21.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.99 $11.99
$10.54 ₡4,738
13.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.48 $11.48
$10.57 ₡4,754
8.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.42 $19.42
$13.92 ₡6,261
39.51%
Apples (1kg)
$5.20 $5.20
$5.20 ₡2,338
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.58 $1.58
$1.65 ₡740
-4.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.67 $4.67
$4.89 ₡2,198
-4.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.73 $4.73
$3.84 ₡1,728
23.18%
Potato (1kg)
$2.77 $2.77
$3.91 ₡1,757
-29.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.73 $2.73
$3.76 ₡1,692
-27.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.12 ₡504
102.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.56 $2.56
$3.22 ₡1,447
-20.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.95 $9.95
$6.02 ₡2,706
65.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.98 $14.98
$19.84 ₡8,919
-24.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 $1.95
$2.81 ₡1,264
-30.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 $1.67
$3.65 ₡1,643
-54.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Marquette, MI
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.29 $2.29
$1.08 ₡487
112.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.4 $53.4
$65.2 ₡29.3K
-18.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.74 $3.74
$2.26 ₡1,018
65.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.94 $1.94
$1.78 ₡799
8.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.07 $28.07
$7.90 ₡3,551
255.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.93 $0.93
$1.50 ₡673
-38.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K $28.2K
$33.5K ₡15.1M
-15.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.9K $24.9K
$42.3K ₡19.0M
-41.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marquette, MI
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$215 $215
$93.2 ₡41.9K
131.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$57.6 $57.6
$36.13 ₡16.2K
59.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.76 $45.76
$60.6 ₡27.2K
-24.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Marquette, MI
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.33 $39.33
$68.9 ₡31.0K
-42.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.94 ₡11.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.13 $12.13
$7.67 ₡3,449
58.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Marquette, MI
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,270 $1,270
$972 ₡436.9K
30.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.7K $19.7K
$18.9K ₡8.5M
4.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Marquette, MI
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 $53.5
$70.6 ₡31.8K
-24.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.82 $40.82
$56.7 ₡25.5K
-27.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.7 $89.7
$129 ₡57.8K
-30.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 $124
$131 ₡58.8K
-5.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Marquette, MI
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,315 $1,315
$1,170 ₡525.9K
12.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$904 $904
$943 ₡424.1K
-4.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,357 $2,357
$1,984 ₡892.0K
18.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,841 $1,841
$1,400 ₡629.5K
31.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,411 $2,411
$2,681 ₡1.2M
-10.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,485 $2,485
$2,037 ₡915.8K
22.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Marquette, MI
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$987 ₡443.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.59
8.62
-23.55%

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

Last update for Marquette, MI: 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
Marquette, MI
$904
San Jose
$943 4.4% $40
Groceries & Markets
Marquette, MI
$413
San Jose
$403 2.6% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marquette, MI
$319
San Jose
$190 40.4% $129
Eating Out
Marquette, MI
$299
San Jose
$232 22.2% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Marquette, MI
$139
San Jose
$174 25.6% $35
Getting Around
Marquette, MI
$76
San Jose
$81 6.2% $4.7
Sport & Entertainment
Marquette, MI
$64
San Jose
$84 32.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,315 in Marquette, MI and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56 in Marquette, MI vs $62 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $413 vs $403, with San Jose cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Marquette, MI
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
11:57 11:57 AM
10:57 10:57 AM
1 h behind Marquette, MI
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
20,488
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
  • Marquette, MI San Jose 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Marquette, MI
  • 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
Marquette, MI vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Marquette, MI and in San Jose?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,213 in Marquette, MI and $2,107 in San Jose, so San Jose is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Marquette, MI compared to San Jose?
You’d need roughly $3,319 in Marquette, MI and $3,161 in San Jose to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Marquette, MI and in San Jose?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,315 in Marquette, MI versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Marquette, MI – a meal for two runs $56 versus $62 in San Jose. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Marquette, MI or San Jose?
All in, you’ll spend $2,213 per month in Marquette, MI versus $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $2,500 go in Marquette, MI compared to San Jose?
Either city works on $2,500 a month, though San Jose gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Marquette, MI and San Jose?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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