Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,848 in New Haven, CT, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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New Haven, CT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,848

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,848 in New Haven, CT versus $2,107 in San Jose.

New Haven, CT $2,848
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,048 in New Haven, CT versus $3,081 in San Jose.

New Haven, CT $4,048
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,249 in New Haven, CT versus $4,054 in San Jose.

New Haven, CT $5,249
San Jose $4,054

Living in New Haven, CT is roughly 35% 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: New Haven, CT 111% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.38 $20.38

$12.37 ₡5,563

64.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.9 $74.9

$62.4 ₡28.0K

20.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.18 $13.18

$11.71 ₡5,264

12.55%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$4.54 ₡2,040

12.33%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$2.75 ₡1,238

-20.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.86 ₡837

-18.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.35 ₡1,505

74.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.84 $7.84

$4.32 ₡1,944

81.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.36 ₡1,061

-57.20%

White Bread (500g)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.07 ₡1,379

37.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.57 $7.57

$2.51 ₡1,128

201.59%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$3.53 ₡1,585

66.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 $10.42

$10.54 ₡4,738

-1.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 $10.70

$10.57 ₡4,754

1.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.11 $17.11

$13.92 ₡6,261

22.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$5.20 ₡2,338

2.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.65 ₡740

3.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$4.89 ₡2,198

-33.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.84 ₡1,728

-19.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.91 ₡1,757

-45.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.76 ₡1,692

-34.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.12 ₡504

139.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.22 ₡1,447

-8.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.46 $11.46

$6.02 ₡2,706

90.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.31 $17.31

$19.84 ₡8,919

-12.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.81 ₡1,264

-36.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.65 ₡1,643

-25.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.08 ₡487

62.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.2 $63.2

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-3.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.26 ₡1,018

29.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.78 ₡799

16.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.83 $23.83

$7.90 ₡3,551

201.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.50 ₡673

-28.67%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-16.45%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-38.71%

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

$195 $195

$93.2 ₡41.9K

109.64%

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

$36.69 $36.69

$36.13 ₡16.2K

1.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$60.6 ₡27.2K

1.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.85 $26.85

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-61.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$12.44 $12.44

$7.67 ₡3,449

62.19%

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

$2,128 $2,128

$972 ₡436.9K

118.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.5K $34.5K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

83.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.41 $38.41

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-45.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.58 $16.58

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-70.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 $75.1

$129 ₡57.8K

-41.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 $154

$131 ₡58.8K

17.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,164 $2,164

$1,170 ₡525.9K

84.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,554 $1,554

$943 ₡424.1K

64.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,569 $3,569

$1,984 ₡892.0K

79.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,395 $2,395

$1,400 ₡629.5K

71.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,161 $3,161

$2,681 ₡1.2M

17.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,570 $2,570

$2,037 ₡915.8K

26.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,260 $4,260

$987 ₡443.6K

331.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

8.62

-24.48%

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

Last update for New Haven, CT: November 1, 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 Haven, CT

$1.6K 54.6%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 39.3% $611

Groceries & Markets

New Haven, CT

$414 14.6%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 2.8% $12

Eating Out

New Haven, CT

$324 11.4%

San Jose

$232 11% 28.2% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Haven, CT

$293 10.3%

San Jose

$190 9% 35.3% $103

Clothing & Footwear

New Haven, CT

$128 4.5%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 36.3% $46

Getting Around

New Haven, CT

$84 2.9%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 3.4% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

New Haven, CT

$52 1.8%

San Jose

$84 4% 62.9% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,164 in New Haven, CT and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Haven, CT pays about 4.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in New Haven, CT vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Haven, CT

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

08:19 8:19 AM

07:19 7:19 AM

1 h behind New Haven, CT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,001

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 Haven, CT San Jose 3,660 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,848 in New Haven, CT and $2,107 in San Jose, so San Jose is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in New Haven, CT is about 4.3 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: $2,164 in New Haven, CT versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62 versus $75 in New Haven, CT. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,848 per month in New Haven, CT versus $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,848 in New Haven, CT, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in New Haven, CT. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Jose is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in New Haven, CT, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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