Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newport News, VA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,521 in Newport News, VA, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Newport News, VA
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Newport News, VA Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Newport News, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,521

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,521 in Newport News, VA versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Newport News, VA $2,521
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,659 in Newport News, VA versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Newport News, VA $3,659
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,797 in Newport News, VA versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Newport News, VA $4,797
San Jose $4,054

Living in Newport News, VA is roughly 20% 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: Newport News, VA 86% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.12 $24.12

$12.37 ₡5,563

94.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 $61.0

$62.4 ₡28.0K

-2.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 $10.32

$11.71 ₡5,264

-11.87%

Cappuccino

$6.08 $6.08

$4.54 ₡2,040

33.92%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$2.75 ₡1,238

-5.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.86 ₡837

6.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.12 $8.12

$3.35 ₡1,505

142.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.18 $8.18

$4.32 ₡1,944

89.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.36 ₡1,061

-59.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.07 ₡1,379

19.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.51 ₡1,128

37.05%

Eggs

$2.89 $2.89

$3.53 ₡1,585

-18.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.59 $7.59

$10.54 ₡4,738

-27.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.21 $11.21

$10.57 ₡4,754

6.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 $18.58

$13.92 ₡6,261

33.48%

Apples (1kg)

$7.47 $7.47

$5.20 ₡2,338

43.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.65 ₡740

-38.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$4.89 ₡2,198

3.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.84 ₡1,728

5.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.91 ₡1,757

-29.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.76 ₡1,692

-16.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.12 ₡504

88.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.22 ₡1,447

-17.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.02 ₡2,706

49.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.97 $15.97

$19.84 ₡8,919

-19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.81 ₡1,264

-39.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 $5.67

$3.65 ₡1,643

55.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.08 ₡487

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 $55.3

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-15.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.26 ₡1,018

65.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.78 ₡799

-27.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.97 $24.97

$7.90 ₡3,551

216.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.50 ₡673

-35.33%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-17.13%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-38.76%

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

$208 $208

$93.2 ₡41.9K

123.46%

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

$81.6 $81.6

$36.13 ₡16.2K

125.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.2 $79.2

$60.6 ₡27.2K

30.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 $53.8

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-21.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$13.43 $13.43

$7.67 ₡3,449

75.10%

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

$2,912 $2,912

$972 ₡436.9K

199.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K $16.6K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-12.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 $54.8

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-22.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.34 $44.34

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-21.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$129 ₡57.8K

-18.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$131 ₡58.8K

-2.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 $1,390

$1,170 ₡525.9K

18.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 $1,079

$943 ₡424.1K

14.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 $1,922

$1,984 ₡892.0K

-3.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,733 $1,733

$1,400 ₡629.5K

23.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,436 $2,436

$2,681 ₡1.2M

-9.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,998 $1,998

$2,037 ₡915.8K

-1.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,890 $3,890

$987 ₡443.6K

294.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

8.62

-24.13%

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

Last update for Newport News, VA: October 31, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newport News, VA

$1.1K 42.8%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 12.6% $136

Groceries & Markets

Newport News, VA

$397 15.7%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 1.5% $5.9

Eating Out

Newport News, VA

$372 14.8%

San Jose

$232 11% 37.6% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newport News, VA

$369 14.6%

San Jose

$190 9% 48.5% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Newport News, VA

$149 5.9%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 16.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Newport News, VA

$81 3.2%

San Jose

$84 4% 4.4% $3.6

Getting Around

Newport News, VA

$74 2.9%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 9.6% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,390 in Newport News, VA and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Newport News, VA pays about 3.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Newport News, VA vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $403 per month, with Newport News, VA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Newport News, VA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

00:41 12:41 AM

23:41 11:41 PM

1 h behind Newport News, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

186,247

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 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 = 0.891 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

Newport News, VA San Jose 3,100 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Newport News, VA
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

Newport News, VA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,521 in Newport News, VA and $2,107 in San Jose, so San Jose is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Newport News, VA is about 3.9 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: $1,390 in Newport News, VA versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,912 in Newport News, VA versus $972 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $2,521 per month in Newport News, VA versus $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,521 in Newport News, VA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Newport News, VA. 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, Newport News, VA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.