Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Britain, CT and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,582 in New Britain, CT, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in New Britain, CT
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New Britain, CT Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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New Britain, CT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,582

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,582 per month in New Britain, CT vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

New Britain, CT $2,582
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,955 per month in New Britain, CT vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

New Britain, CT $3,955
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $5,329 per month in New Britain, CT vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

New Britain, CT $5,329
San Jose $4,054

New Britain, CT costs about 23% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New Britain, CT and San Jose sit above the global median – New Britain, CT by 91%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.25 $16.25

$12.37 ₡5,563

31.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 $91.2

$62.4 ₡28.0K

46.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.72 $14.72

$11.71 ₡5,264

25.70%

Cappuccino

$5.57 $5.57

$4.54 ₡2,040

22.69%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$2.75 ₡1,238

5.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.86 ₡837

49.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.35 ₡1,505

47.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.82 $7.82

$4.32 ₡1,944

81.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.36 ₡1,061

-54.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 $3.92

$3.07 ₡1,379

27.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$2.51 ₡1,128

113.55%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$3.53 ₡1,585

33.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 $11.10

$10.54 ₡4,738

5.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.37 $14.37

$10.57 ₡4,754

35.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$13.92 ₡6,261

26.36%

Apples (1kg)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.20 ₡2,338

32.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.65 ₡740

3.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.59 $6.59

$4.89 ₡2,198

34.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$3.84 ₡1,728

44.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.91 ₡1,757

-29.16%

Onion (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$3.76 ₡1,692

14.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.12 ₡504

104.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$3.22 ₡1,447

-69.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.48 $13.48

$6.02 ₡2,706

123.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 $14.06

$19.84 ₡8,919

-29.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.81 ₡1,264

-25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 $3.99

$3.65 ₡1,643

9.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.08 ₡487

76.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 $53.8

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-17.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.26 ₡1,018

75.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.78 ₡799

41.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.83 $39.83

$7.90 ₡3,551

404.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.50 ₡673

-27.33%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-16.57%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-36.30%

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

$324 $324

$93.2 ₡41.9K

247.59%

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

$104 $104

$36.13 ₡16.2K

188.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 $54.8

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-9.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.06 $40.06

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-41.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$14.16 $14.16

$7.67 ₡3,449

84.62%

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

$984 $984

$972 ₡436.9K

1.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.9K $44.9K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

137.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 $56.0

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-20.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.87 $37.87

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-33.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 $79.9

$129 ₡57.8K

-37.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 $98.6

$131 ₡58.8K

-24.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 $1,112

$1,170 ₡525.9K

-4.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 $1,095

$943 ₡424.1K

16.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,572 $2,572

$1,984 ₡892.0K

29.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 $2,107

$1,400 ₡629.5K

50.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,695 $2,695

$2,681 ₡1.2M

0.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,486 $2,486

$2,037 ₡915.8K

22.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,915 $3,915

$987 ₡443.6K

296.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-42.00%

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

Last update for New Britain, CT: November 3, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Britain, CT

$1.1K 42.4%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 13.8% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Britain, CT

$483 18.7%

San Jose

$190 9% 60.7% $293

Groceries & Markets

New Britain, CT

$431 16.7%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 6.6% $29

Eating Out

New Britain, CT

$304 11.8%

San Jose

$232 11% 23.6% $72

Clothing & Footwear

New Britain, CT

$123 4.8%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 42% $51

Getting Around

New Britain, CT

$78 3%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 3.5% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

New Britain, CT

$68 2.7%

San Jose

$84 4% 23.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,112 in New Britain, CT versus $1,170 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 in New Britain, CT are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in New Britain, CT versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Britain, CT

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

11:57 11:57 AM

10:57 10:57 AM

1 h behind New Britain, CT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,206

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 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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Between locations

New Britain, CT San Jose 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New Britain, CT
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 Britain, CT vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New Britain, CT is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,873 per month in New Britain, CT and $3,161 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,112 in New Britain, CT and $1,170 in San Jose. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,582 in New Britain, CT and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 18% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 17% less in New Britain, CT. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in New Britain, CT at $2,582. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Britain, CT 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 $2,107 in San Jose to $2,582 in New Britain, CT. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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