Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moab, UT and San Jose

For one person, living costs are similar in Moab, UT and in San Jose: $2,104 and $2,107 a month, rent and utilities included.

Moab, UT, United States
San Jose, Costa Rica
Moab, UT
🇺🇸 United States
$2,104
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,107
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,104 in Moab, UT versus $2,107 in San Jose.

  • Moab, UT $2,104
  • San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,381 in Moab, UT versus $3,081 in San Jose.

  • Moab, UT $3,381
  • San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,657 in Moab, UT versus $4,054 in San Jose.

  • Moab, UT $4,657
  • San Jose $4,054

Monthly costs are close between Moab, UT and San Jose; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Moab, UT 56% above, San Jose 56% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Moab, UT
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.15 $20.15
$12.37 ₡5,563
62.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.1 $61.1
$62.4 ₡28.0K
-2.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.20 $13.20
$11.71 ₡5,264
12.72%
Cappuccino
$5.02 $5.02
$4.54 ₡2,040
10.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62 $2.62
$2.75 ₡1,238
-4.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 $1.82
$1.86 ₡837
-2.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.90 $5.90
$3.35 ₡1,505
76.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.14 $6.14
$4.32 ₡1,944
42.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Moab, UT
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.90 $0.90
$2.36 ₡1,061
-61.86%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 $3.08
$3.07 ₡1,379
0.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.81 $1.81
$2.51 ₡1,128
-27.89%
Eggs
$2.65 $2.65
$3.53 ₡1,585
-24.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.60 $8.60
$10.54 ₡4,738
-18.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.01 $9.01
$10.57 ₡4,754
-14.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.16 $15.16
$13.92 ₡6,261
8.91%
Apples (1kg)
$5.32 $5.32
$5.20 ₡2,338
2.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.65 ₡740
-6.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$4.89 ₡2,198
-33.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.73 $3.73
$3.84 ₡1,728
-2.86%
Potato (1kg)
$2.17 $2.17
$3.91 ₡1,757
-44.50%
Onion (1kg)
$2.20 $2.20
$3.76 ₡1,692
-41.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.12 ₡504
82.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.23 $2.23
$3.22 ₡1,447
-30.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.90 $10.90
$6.02 ₡2,706
81.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.08 $13.08
$19.84 ₡8,919
-34.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$2.81 ₡1,264
-29.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.90 $3.90
$3.65 ₡1,643
6.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Moab, UT
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.08 ₡487
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$65.2 ₡29.3K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$2.26 ₡1,018
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.93 $2.93
$1.78 ₡799
64.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$7.90 ₡3,551
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.92 $0.92
$1.50 ₡673
-38.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.0K $42.0K
$33.5K ₡15.1M
25.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.4K $37.4K
$42.3K ₡19.0M
-11.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moab, UT
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 $170
$93.2 ₡41.9K
82.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$70.4 $70.4
$36.13 ₡16.2K
94.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$73.1 $73.1
$60.6 ₡27.2K
20.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Moab, UT
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$68.9 ₡31.0K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.94 ₡11.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.93 $14.93
$7.67 ₡3,449
94.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Moab, UT
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,147 $1,147
$972 ₡436.9K
18.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$18.9K ₡8.5M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Moab, UT
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.6 $50.6
$70.6 ₡31.8K
-28.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.31 $26.31
$56.7 ₡25.5K
-53.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.4 $84.4
$129 ₡57.8K
-34.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.4 $98.4
$131 ₡58.8K
-24.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Moab, UT
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 $1,113
$1,170 ₡525.9K
-4.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$977 $977
$943 ₡424.1K
3.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,407 $2,407
$1,984 ₡892.0K
21.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,215 $2,215
$1,400 ₡629.5K
58.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,847 $4,847
$2,681 ₡1.2M
80.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,513 $4,513
$2,037 ₡915.8K
121.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Moab, UT
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$987 ₡443.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.91
8.62
-19.84%

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

Last update for Moab, UT: 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
Moab, UT
$977
San Jose
$943 3.4% $34
Groceries & Markets
Moab, UT
$331
San Jose
$403 21.6% $71
Eating Out
Moab, UT
$321
San Jose
$232 27.5% $88
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moab, UT
$314
San Jose
$190 39.5% $124
Clothing & Footwear
Moab, UT
$117
San Jose
$174 49% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Moab, UT
$30 *
San Jose
$84 182% $54
Getting Around
Moab, UT
$15 *
San Jose
$81 451% $66

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 $1,113 in Moab, UT and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Moab, UT vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $403 per month, with Moab, UT cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Moab, UT
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
01:23 1:23 AM
02:23 2:23 AM
1 h ahead of Moab, UT
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,300
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
  • Moab, UT San Jose 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Moab, UT
  • 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
Moab, UT vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,156 in Moab, UT 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.
What is the rent difference between Moab, UT and San Jose?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Moab, UT 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 kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,147 in Moab, UT versus $972 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Moab, UT and in San Jose?
Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in San Jose. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $2,500 enough for either Moab, UT or San Jose?
Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Moab, UT gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Moab, UT or in 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.

Moab, UT vs other spots: cost of living compared

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