Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Memphis, TN and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,484 in Memphis, TN, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Memphis, TN
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Memphis, TN Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Memphis, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,484

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,484 per month in Memphis, TN vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Memphis, TN $2,484
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,630 per month in Memphis, TN vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Memphis, TN $3,630
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $4,775 per month in Memphis, TN vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Memphis, TN $4,775
San Jose $3,857

Memphis, TN costs about 27% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Memphis, TN and San Jose sit above the global median – Memphis, TN by 85%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.83 $17.83

$12.22 ₡5,510

45.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.9 $74.9

$60.1 ₡27.1K

24.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$11.77 ₡5,305

2.80%

Cappuccino

$5.56 $5.56

$4.30 ₡1,939

29.30%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$2.72 ₡1,226

-12.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.84 ₡830

7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 $7.18

$3.28 ₡1,480

118.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$4.36 ₡1,966

88.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$2.38 ₡1,074

-62.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.12 ₡1,408

0.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.41 ₡1,086

66.39%

Eggs

$3.78 $3.78

$3.47 ₡1,564

8.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.45 $13.45

$10.57 ₡4,767

27.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 $11.36

$10.56 ₡4,758

7.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.44 $19.44

$13.75 ₡6,196

41.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$5.04 ₡2,274

13.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.61 ₡727

9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.00 $6.00

$4.59 ₡2,069

30.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.84 ₡1,731

25.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.77 ₡1,700

-14.59%

Onion (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$3.76 ₡1,693

11.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.12 ₡506

128.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.20 ₡1,441

-33.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.63 $10.63

$5.84 ₡2,632

82.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 $12.87

$19.73 ₡8,897

-34.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.75 ₡1,240

-34.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.66 ₡1,650

-55.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.12 ₡503

-13.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.19 $39.19

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-39.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.46 ₡1,110

-21.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.54 ₡692

-8.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.61 $19.61

$8.46 ₡3,815

131.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.55 ₡699

-36.13%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

72.51%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-23.17%

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

$186 $186

$94.7 ₡42.7K

96.57%

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

$86.8 $86.8

$35.11 ₡15.8K

147.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.2 $76.2

$58.6 ₡26.4K

30.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.38 $31.38

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-56.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.72 $16.72

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-33.62%

Cinema Ticket

$15.15 $15.15

$7.83 ₡3,532

93.49%

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

$1,722 $1,722

$971 ₡437.9K

77.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

47.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.26 $47.26

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-33.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.34 $33.34

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-39.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 $82.7

$129 ₡58.2K

-35.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$133 ₡60.0K

14.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 $1,495

$934 ₡420.9K

60.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 $1,157

$770 ₡347.2K

50.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 $2,080

$1,945 ₡876.7K

6.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 $1,884

$1,316 ₡593.5K

43.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,781 $1,781

$2,277 ₡1.0M

-21.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,364 $1,364

$1,795 ₡809.1K

-24.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,648 $3,648

$1,006 ₡453.5K

262.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

8.62

-23.43%

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

Last update for Memphis, TN: October 6, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Memphis, TN

$1.2K 46.6%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 33.4% $387

Groceries & Markets

Memphis, TN

$406 16.4%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 1.8% $7.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Memphis, TN

$349 14.1%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 46% $161

Eating Out

Memphis, TN

$316 12.7%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 27.7% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Memphis, TN

$142 5.7%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 23.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Memphis, TN

$62 2.5%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 42.4% $26

Getting Around

Memphis, TN

$52 2.1%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 53.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,495 in Memphis, TN versus $934 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 run about 263% higher in Memphis, TN, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Memphis, TN versus $60.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $399 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Memphis, TN

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

22:36 10:36 PM

21:36 9:36 PM

1 h behind Memphis, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

633,104

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Memphis, TN San Jose 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Memphis, TN
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

Memphis, TN vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,484 in Memphis, TN, $1,949 in San Jose – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,726 per month in Memphis, TN and $2,924 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 66% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,722 per month in Memphis, TN and $971 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 $1,949, than in Memphis, TN at $2,484. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Memphis, TN 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 $1,949 in San Jose to $2,484 in Memphis, TN. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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