Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Braunfels, TX and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,489 in New Braunfels, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in New Braunfels, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

123

Cost of Living Index in New Braunfels, TX
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New Braunfels, TX Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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New Braunfels, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,489

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,489 per month in New Braunfels, TX vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

New Braunfels, TX $2,489
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,594 per month in New Braunfels, TX vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

New Braunfels, TX $3,594
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $4,698 per month in New Braunfels, TX vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

New Braunfels, TX $4,698
San Jose $3,857

New Braunfels, TX costs about 28% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New Braunfels, TX and San Jose sit above the global median – New Braunfels, TX by 86%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.92 $14.92

$12.22 ₡5,510

22.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 $68.8

$60.1 ₡27.1K

14.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$11.77 ₡5,305

2.38%

Cappuccino

$5.53 $5.53

$4.30 ₡1,939

28.60%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$2.72 ₡1,226

7.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.84 ₡830

-3.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.28 ₡1,480

56.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.36 ₡1,966

38.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$2.38 ₡1,074

-66.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.12 ₡1,408

-0.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.41 ₡1,086

-14.52%

Eggs

$2.93 $2.93

$3.47 ₡1,564

-15.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.20 $12.20

$10.57 ₡4,767

15.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.64 $9.64

$10.56 ₡4,758

-8.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$13.75 ₡6,196

-7.20%

Apples (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$5.04 ₡2,274

28.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.61 ₡727

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.59 ₡2,069

-30.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.84 ₡1,731

-5.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.77 ₡1,700

-36.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.76 ₡1,693

-19.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.12 ₡506

58.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$3.20 ₡1,441

-49.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.84 ₡2,632

9.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.97 $13.97

$19.73 ₡8,897

-29.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.75 ₡1,240

-35.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.66 ₡1,650

3.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$151 $151

$65.1 ₡29.4K

131.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.12 $10.12

$2.46 ₡1,110

311.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.54 ₡692

18.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 $29.83

$8.46 ₡3,815

252.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.55 ₡699

-42.58%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

67.91%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-28.08%

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

$181 $181

$94.7 ₡42.7K

90.91%

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

$40.56 $40.56

$35.11 ₡15.8K

15.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.5 $54.5

$58.6 ₡26.4K

-6.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.74 $32.74

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-54.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.40 $11.40

$7.83 ₡3,532

45.59%

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

$745 $745

$971 ₡437.9K

-23.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K $18.4K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

7.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-20.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.31 $25.31

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-53.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 $84.5

$129 ₡58.2K

-34.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$133 ₡60.0K

-8.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 $1,594

$934 ₡420.9K

70.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 $1,308

$770 ₡347.2K

69.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,329 $2,329

$1,945 ₡876.7K

19.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 $2,018

$1,316 ₡593.5K

53.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,379 $2,379

$2,277 ₡1.0M

4.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,809 $2,809

$1,795 ₡809.1K

56.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,399 $4,399

$1,006 ₡453.5K

337.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for New Braunfels, TX: October 4, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Braunfels, TX

$1.3K 51.2%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 41.1% $538

Groceries & Markets

New Braunfels, TX

$337 13.2%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 18.5% $62

Eating Out

New Braunfels, TX

$278 10.9%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 18.1% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Braunfels, TX

$276 10.8%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 31.7% $87

Getting Around

New Braunfels, TX

$170 * 6.7%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 53.2% $91

Clothing & Footwear

New Braunfels, TX

$130 5.1%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 34.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

New Braunfels, TX

$56 2.2%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 58.1% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,594 in New Braunfels, TX versus $934 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 337% higher in New Braunfels, TX, 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 $69.0 in New Braunfels, TX versus $60.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $337 in New Braunfels, TX vs $399 in San Jose – so New Braunfels, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Braunfels, TX

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

15:09 3:09 PM

1 h behind New Braunfels, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,403

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New Braunfels, TX San Jose 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New Braunfels, TX
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

New Braunfels, TX vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,489 in New Braunfels, TX, $1,949 in San Jose – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,734 per month in New Braunfels, TX and $2,924 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 $69.0 in New Braunfels, TX and $60.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,489 in New Braunfels, TX and $1,949 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 28%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in New Braunfels, TX at $2,489. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Braunfels, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,949 in San Jose to $2,489 in New Braunfels, TX. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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