Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Minot, ND and San Jose

For one person, living costs are similar in Minot, ND and in San Jose: $1,966 and $1,924 a month, rent and utilities included.

95

Cost of Living Index in Minot, ND
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Minot, ND Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Minot, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$1,966

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,966 per month in Minot, ND vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Minot, ND $1,966
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,003 per month in Minot, ND vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Minot, ND $3,003
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,040 per month in Minot, ND vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Minot, ND $4,040
San Jose $3,929

Minot, ND costs about 2% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Minot, ND and San Jose sit above the global median – Minot, ND by 45%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.11 $16.11

$12.29 ₡5,513

31.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$62.3 ₡27.9K

22.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 $12.43

$11.53 ₡5,171

7.81%

Cappuccino

$7.50 $7.50

$4.35 ₡1,953

72.41%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$2.64 ₡1,183

10.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.86 ₡836

28.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 $5.64

$3.32 ₡1,490

69.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$4.52 ₡2,026

50.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.39 ₡1,073

-54.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.08 ₡1,381

-0.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.50 ₡1,119

27.20%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$3.48 ₡1,562

39.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$10.74 ₡4,815

-59.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.13 $16.13

$10.32 ₡4,629

56.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.13 $23.13

$14.10 ₡6,325

64.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$5.03 ₡2,256

-13.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.59 ₡714

27.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$4.84 ₡2,171

-26.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$3.96 ₡1,776

11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.76 ₡1,684

-12.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.73 ₡1,674

4.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.08 ₡485

181.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.25 ₡1,456

-17.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 $8.01

$5.86 ₡2,627

36.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$20.28 ₡9,095

-24.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.58 ₡709

-46.20%

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

$31.1K $31.1K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-7.55%

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

$22.1K $22.1K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-46.98%

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

$210 $210

$93.7 ₡42.0K

124.75%

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

$160 $160

$35.42 ₡15.9K

350.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 $75.7

$60.0 ₡26.9K

26.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$14.72 $14.72

$7.74 ₡3,471

90.18%

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

$1,030 $1,030

$1,005 ₡450.9K

2.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.63 $34.63

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-52.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.2 $63.2

$55.4 ₡24.9K

14.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$128 ₡57.5K

-10.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.9 $73.9

$130 ₡58.5K

-43.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 $927

$932 ₡418.0K

-0.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 $643

$760 ₡340.8K

-15.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,669 $1,669

$1,922 ₡862.0K

-13.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 $1,134

$1,276 ₡572.1K

-11.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,551 $1,551

$2,301 ₡1.0M

-32.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,524 $1,524

$1,833 ₡821.9K

-16.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,029 ₡461.3K

237.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

8.62

-23.20%

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

Last update for Minot, ND: October 19, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Minot, ND

$643 32.7%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 18.2% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Minot, ND

$446 22.7%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 57.6% $257

Groceries & Markets

Minot, ND

$400 * 20.3%

San Jose

$403 21% 0.8% $3.4

Eating Out

Minot, ND

$319 16.2%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 28.3% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Minot, ND

$129 6.6%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 35.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Minot, ND

$29 * 1.5%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 199% $59

Getting Around

Minot, ND

- * 0%

San Jose

$80 4.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in Minot, ND versus $932 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 237% higher in Minot, ND, 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 $76.0 in Minot, ND versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $400 in Minot, ND vs $403 in San Jose – so Minot, ND wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Minot, ND

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

14:35 2:35 PM

13:35 1:35 PM

1 h behind Minot, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,745

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Minot, ND San Jose 4,550 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Minot, ND
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

Minot, ND vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,966 in Minot, ND, $1,924 in San Jose – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,949 per month in Minot, ND and $2,886 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,966 in Minot, ND and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 2%.

Kindergarten costs $1,030 per month in Minot, ND and $1,005 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 $1,924, than in Minot, ND at $1,966. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Minot, ND 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 $1,924 in San Jose to $1,966 in Minot, ND. 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, Minot, ND makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.