Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monticello, AR and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,407 in Monticello, AR, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Monticello, AR outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

114

Cost of Living Index in Monticello, AR
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Monticello, AR Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Monticello, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,407

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,407 per month in Monticello, AR vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Monticello, AR $2,407
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,453 per month in Monticello, AR vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Monticello, AR $3,453
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,499 per month in Monticello, AR vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Monticello, AR $4,499
San Jose $3,929

Monticello, AR costs about 25% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Monticello, AR and San Jose sit above the global median – Monticello, AR by 78%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 $18.26

$12.29 ₡5,513

48.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.9 $74.9

$62.3 ₡27.9K

20.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 $12.03

$11.53 ₡5,171

4.34%

Cappuccino

$5.50 $5.50

$4.35 ₡1,953

26.44%

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

$2.35 $2.35

$2.64 ₡1,183

-10.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.86 ₡836

9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 $7.13

$3.32 ₡1,490

114.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.09 $8.09

$4.52 ₡2,026

78.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$2.39 ₡1,073

-62.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 $1.20

$3.08 ₡1,381

-61.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.50 ₡1,119

-16.80%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$3.48 ₡1,562

6.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$10.74 ₡4,815

-17.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$10.32 ₡4,629

-35.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$14.10 ₡6,325

-37.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$5.03 ₡2,256

-32.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.59 ₡714

-18.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$4.84 ₡2,171

-44.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.96 ₡1,776

-45.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.76 ₡1,684

-13.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.73 ₡1,674

-38.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.08 ₡485

70.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.25 ₡1,456

-31.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 $9.47

$5.86 ₡2,627

61.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 $12.74

$20.28 ₡9,095

-37.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.90 ₡1,300

-38.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$3.73 ₡1,673

-57.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.08 ₡486

112.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.50 ₡1,123

-21.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.63 ₡732

-14.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.32 $20.32

$8.71 ₡3,904

133.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.58 ₡709

-39.24%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-17.78%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-34.73%

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

$190 $190

$93.7 ₡42.0K

102.75%

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

$40.07 $40.07

$35.42 ₡15.9K

13.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.59 $45.59

$60.0 ₡26.9K

-23.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.43 $42.43

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-41.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$10.98 $10.98

$7.74 ₡3,471

41.86%

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

$1,219 $1,219

$1,005 ₡450.9K

21.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

46.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.74 $23.74

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-67.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.03 $33.03

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-40.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 $69.0

$128 ₡57.5K

-46.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 $150

$130 ₡58.5K

15.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$932 ₡418.0K

69.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 $1,345

$760 ₡340.8K

76.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 $2,702

$1,922 ₡862.0K

40.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,132 $2,132

$1,276 ₡572.1K

67.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,660 $2,660

$2,301 ₡1.0M

15.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,221 $2,221

$1,833 ₡821.9K

21.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

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 Monticello, AR: October 18, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monticello, AR

$1.3K 55.9%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 43.5% $585

Eating Out

Monticello, AR

$318 13.2%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 27.9% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monticello, AR

$276 11.5%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 31.4% $86

Groceries & Markets

Monticello, AR

$263 10.9%

San Jose

$403 21% 53.2% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Monticello, AR

$124 5.2%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 40.3% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Monticello, AR

$64 2.7%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 36.8% $24

Getting Around

Monticello, AR

$18 * 0.8%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 345% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,584 in Monticello, AR 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Monticello, AR versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $263 in Monticello, AR vs $403 in San Jose – so Monticello, AR wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monticello, AR

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

14:41 2:41 PM

13:41 1:41 PM

1 h behind Monticello, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,414

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

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Between locations

Monticello, AR San Jose 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Monticello, AR
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

Monticello, AR vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Monticello, AR is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,611 per month in Monticello, AR 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Monticello, AR and $62.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 53% cheaper in Monticello, AR – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Monticello, AR at $2,407. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monticello, AR it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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