Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montgomery, AL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,354 in Montgomery, AL, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montgomery, AL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

115

Cost of Living Index in Montgomery, AL
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Montgomery, AL Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Montgomery, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,354

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,354 in Montgomery, AL versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Montgomery, AL $2,354
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,197 in Montgomery, AL versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Montgomery, AL $3,197
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,039 in Montgomery, AL versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Montgomery, AL $4,039
San Jose $3,934

Living in Montgomery, AL is roughly 21% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montgomery, AL 74% above, San Jose 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.11 $16.11

$12.38 ₡5,551

30.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 $55.6

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-8.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 $10.30

$11.45 ₡5,135

-10.04%

Cappuccino

$5.36 $5.36

$4.39 ₡1,967

22.10%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$2.70 ₡1,211

-2.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.93 ₡864

7.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.20 ₡1,433

36.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$4.41 ₡1,979

10.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$2.44 ₡1,093

-65.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.05 ₡1,369

17.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.41 ₡1,081

-14.94%

Eggs

$3.14 $3.14

$3.40 ₡1,523

-7.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 $7.96

$10.75 ₡4,823

-25.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.39 $7.39

$10.43 ₡4,679

-29.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 $14.27

$13.99 ₡6,273

2.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$5.25 ₡2,353

-24.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.59 ₡712

-19.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$4.69 ₡2,103

-58.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$3.95 ₡1,770

5.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.92 ₡1,760

-20.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.68 ₡1,651

-27.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.12 ₡503

86.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.19 ₡1,429

-31.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 $8.89

$6.00 ₡2,692

48.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$19.56 ₡8,771

-22.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.82 ₡1,263

-31.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.59 ₡1,611

7.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.12 ₡503

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.02 $45.02

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-32.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.50 ₡1,119

1.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.63 ₡733

-1.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.54 $25.54

$8.50 ₡3,812

200.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.56 ₡701

-42.31%

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

$31.7K $31.7K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

41.60%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-27.08%

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

$309 $309

$95.2 ₡42.7K

224.72%

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

$50.7 $50.7

$35.58 ₡16.0K

42.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$58.6 ₡26.3K

23.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.83 $37.83

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-47.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.52 $28.52

$24.85 ₡11.1K

14.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 $9.81

$7.58 ₡3,401

29.42%

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

$1,380 $1,380

$1,001 ₡449.0K

37.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K $13.7K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-19.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.94 $48.94

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-30.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.52 $35.52

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-36.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 $86.2

$130 ₡58.2K

-33.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 $96.5

$131 ₡58.7K

-26.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$927 ₡415.8K

38.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 $1,084

$774 ₡347.2K

40.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 $1,589

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-19.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 $1,455

$1,288 ₡577.6K

12.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,368 $1,368

$2,274 ₡1.0M

-39.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,309 $1,309

$1,831 ₡821.0K

-28.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 $3,632

$1,016 ₡455.8K

257.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

8.62

-24.13%

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

Last update for Montgomery, AL: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montgomery, AL

$1.1K 46%

San Jose

$774 40% 28.6% $310

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montgomery, AL

$432 18.4%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 56.2% $243

Groceries & Markets

Montgomery, AL

$322 13.7%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 24.6% $79

Eating Out

Montgomery, AL

$274 11.7%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 16.4% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Montgomery, AL

$120 5.1%

San Jose

$174 9% 44.8% $54

Getting Around

Montgomery, AL

$64 2.7%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 28.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Montgomery, AL

$57 2.4%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 52.9% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Montgomery, AL and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montgomery, AL pays 257% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $56.0 in Montgomery, AL vs $61.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $401 per month, with Montgomery, AL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Montgomery, AL

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

06:31 6:31 AM

05:31 5:31 AM

1 h behind Montgomery, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,603

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Montgomery, AL San Jose 2,510 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Montgomery, AL
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

Montgomery, AL vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montgomery, AL and San Jose differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,354 vs $1,938 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 257% higher in Montgomery, AL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,287 in Montgomery, AL versus $927 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $56.0 in Montgomery, AL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,354 per month in Montgomery, AL versus $1,938 in San Jose – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,354 in Montgomery, AL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Montgomery, AL. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Montgomery, AL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.