Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Murfreesboro, TN and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,308 in Murfreesboro, TN, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Murfreesboro, TN outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

111

Cost of Living Index in Murfreesboro, TN
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Murfreesboro, TN Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Murfreesboro, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,308

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,308 per month in Murfreesboro, TN vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Murfreesboro, TN $2,308
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $3,436 per month in Murfreesboro, TN vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Murfreesboro, TN $3,436
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $4,565 per month in Murfreesboro, TN vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Murfreesboro, TN $4,565
San Jose $3,934

Murfreesboro, TN costs about 19% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Murfreesboro, TN and San Jose sit above the global median – Murfreesboro, TN by 71%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 $17.68

$12.38 ₡5,551

42.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 $74.3

$60.9 ₡27.3K

22.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 $9.80

$11.45 ₡5,135

-14.41%

Cappuccino

$5.40 $5.40

$4.39 ₡1,967

23.01%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$2.70 ₡1,211

-5.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.93 ₡864

32.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.20 ₡1,433

21.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 $6.03

$4.41 ₡1,979

36.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.44 ₡1,093

-56.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.05 ₡1,369

-3.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.41 ₡1,081

38.59%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$3.40 ₡1,523

25.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 $10.04

$10.75 ₡4,823

-6.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 $9.45

$10.43 ₡4,679

-9.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.81 $14.81

$13.99 ₡6,273

5.86%

Apples (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$5.25 ₡2,353

17.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.59 ₡712

-27.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$4.69 ₡2,103

-39.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.95 ₡1,770

15.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$3.92 ₡1,760

-51.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.68 ₡1,651

-25.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.12 ₡503

83.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$3.19 ₡1,429

-50.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.15 $10.15

$6.00 ₡2,692

69.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$19.56 ₡8,771

-24.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.82 ₡1,263

-37.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.59 ₡1,611

-14.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.50 ₡1,119

104.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.63 ₡733

-6.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.10 $30.10

$8.50 ₡3,812

254.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.56 ₡701

-43.59%

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

$32.7K $32.7K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

45.90%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-35.40%

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

$221 $221

$95.2 ₡42.7K

132.49%

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

$55.4 $55.4

$35.58 ₡16.0K

55.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 $54.6

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-6.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.92 $24.92

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-65.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.98 $29.98

$24.85 ₡11.1K

20.64%

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$7.58 ₡3,401

94.46%

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

$1,208 $1,208

$1,001 ₡449.0K

20.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

40.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 $50.2

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-28.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.66 $44.66

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-19.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 $89.6

$130 ₡58.2K

-30.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$131 ₡58.7K

-4.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,364 $1,364

$927 ₡415.8K

47.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 $1,135

$774 ₡347.2K

46.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,142 $2,142

$1,967 ₡882.0K

8.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,951 $1,951

$1,288 ₡577.6K

51.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 $2,805

$2,274 ₡1.0M

23.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,810 $2,810

$1,831 ₡821.0K

53.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,016 ₡455.8K

312.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

8.62

-24.71%

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

Last update for Murfreesboro, TN: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Murfreesboro, TN

$1.1K 49.2%

San Jose

$774 40% 31.8% $360

Groceries & Markets

Murfreesboro, TN

$347 15.1%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 15.4% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Murfreesboro, TN

$331 14.4%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 42.8% $142

Eating Out

Murfreesboro, TN

$288 12.5%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 20.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Murfreesboro, TN

$139 6%

San Jose

$174 9% 24.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Murfreesboro, TN

$54 2.4%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 61.5% $33

Getting Around

Murfreesboro, TN

$13 * 0.6%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 541% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,364 in Murfreesboro, TN versus $927 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 312% higher in Murfreesboro, 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 $74.0 in Murfreesboro, TN versus $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $347 in Murfreesboro, TN vs $401 in San Jose – so Murfreesboro, TN wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Murfreesboro, TN

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

13:34 1:34 PM

12:34 12:34 PM

1 h behind Murfreesboro, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,118

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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Between locations

Murfreesboro, TN San Jose 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Murfreesboro, 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

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

Murfreesboro, TN costs about 19% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,461 per month in Murfreesboro, TN and $2,907 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 $2,308 in Murfreesboro, TN and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 19%.

Kindergarten costs $1,208 per month in Murfreesboro, TN and $1,001 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 $1,938, than in Murfreesboro, TN at $2,308. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Murfreesboro, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,938 versus $2,308 in Murfreesboro, TN. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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