Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nashua, NH and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,973 in Nashua, NH, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nashua, NH outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

141

Cost of Living Index in Nashua, NH
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Nashua, NH Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Nashua, NH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,973

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,973 in Nashua, NH versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Nashua, NH $2,973
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,029 in Nashua, NH versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Nashua, NH $4,029
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,085 in Nashua, NH versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Nashua, NH $5,085
San Jose $4,054

Living in Nashua, NH is roughly 41% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nashua, NH 120% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.82 $20.82

$12.37 ₡5,563

68.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.0 $94.0

$62.4 ₡28.0K

50.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 $10.35

$11.71 ₡5,264

-11.61%

Cappuccino

$4.35 $4.35

$4.54 ₡2,040

-4.19%

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

$2.37 $2.37

$2.75 ₡1,238

-13.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.86 ₡837

-21.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.35 ₡1,505

53.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 $7.40

$4.32 ₡1,944

71.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.36 ₡1,061

-53.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.07 ₡1,379

-10.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.51 ₡1,128

-12.75%

Eggs

$5.23 $5.23

$3.53 ₡1,585

48.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.86 $11.86

$10.54 ₡4,738

12.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.93 $7.93

$10.57 ₡4,754

-24.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.74 $11.74

$13.92 ₡6,261

-15.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$5.20 ₡2,338

-53.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.65 ₡740

-14.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$4.89 ₡2,198

-4.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$3.84 ₡1,728

37.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.91 ₡1,757

-10.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.76 ₡1,692

-9.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.12 ₡504

23.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.22 ₡1,447

-36.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.41 $13.41

$6.02 ₡2,706

122.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 $15.04

$19.84 ₡8,919

-24.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.81 ₡1,264

-39.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.65 ₡1,643

-46.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.08 ₡487

13.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.32 $40.32

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-38.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.26 ₡1,018

126.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.78 ₡799

21.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.31 $36.31

$7.90 ₡3,551

359.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.50 ₡673

-42.00%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-18.65%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-38.07%

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

$196 $196

$93.2 ₡41.9K

110.31%

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

$53.4 $53.4

$36.13 ₡16.2K

47.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 $53.1

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-12.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 $52.0

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-24.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.57 $30.57

$24.94 ₡11.2K

22.57%

Cinema Ticket

$14.97 $14.97

$7.67 ₡3,449

95.18%

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

$845 $845

$972 ₡436.9K

-13.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K $11.8K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-37.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.85 $44.85

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-36.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.50 $37.50

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-33.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.8 $73.8

$129 ₡57.8K

-42.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 $79.6

$131 ₡58.8K

-39.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 $1,660

$1,170 ₡525.9K

41.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,782 $1,782

$943 ₡424.1K

88.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,984 ₡892.0K

27.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,312 $2,312

$1,400 ₡629.5K

65.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,026 $3,026

$2,681 ₡1.2M

12.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,048 $3,048

$2,037 ₡915.8K

49.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,211 $5,211

$987 ₡443.6K

428.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

8.62

-28.42%

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

Last update for Nashua, NH: 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

Nashua, NH

$1.8K 59.9%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 47.1% $839

Groceries & Markets

Nashua, NH

$334 11.2%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 20.6% $69

Eating Out

Nashua, NH

$306 10.3%

San Jose

$232 11% 24% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nashua, NH

$303 10.2%

San Jose

$190 9% 37.2% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Nashua, NH

$106 3.6%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 64% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Nashua, NH

$82 2.8%

San Jose

$84 4% 2.8% $2.3

Getting Around

Nashua, NH

$61 2.1%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 31.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,660 in Nashua, NH and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nashua, NH pays about 5.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $94 in Nashua, NH vs $62 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $334 vs $403, with Nashua, NH cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Nashua, NH

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

16:47 4:47 PM

15:47 3:47 PM

1 h behind Nashua, NH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

86,494

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nashua, NH San Jose 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nashua, NH
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

Nashua, NH vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Nashua, NH. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Nashua, NH is about 5.3 times higher, 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: $1,660 in Nashua, NH versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Nashua, NH pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62 versus $94 in Nashua, NH. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,973 in Nashua, NH, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Nashua, NH. 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.

It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Nashua, NH on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.