Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newton, IA and San Jose

For one person, living costs are similar in Newton, IA and in San Jose: $1,921 and $1,924 a month, rent and utilities included.

93

Cost of Living Index in Newton, IA
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Newton, IA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Newton, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,921

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,921 per month in Newton, IA vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Newton, IA $1,921
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $2,851 per month in Newton, IA vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Newton, IA $2,851
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $3,780 per month in Newton, IA vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Newton, IA $3,780
San Jose $3,929

Newton, IA and San Jose have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Newton, IA and San Jose sit above the global median – Newton, IA by 42%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$12.29 ₡5,513

60.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.6 $61.6

$62.3 ₡27.9K

-1.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 $10.62

$11.53 ₡5,171

-7.89%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$4.35 ₡1,953

13.79%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$2.64 ₡1,183

-1.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.86 ₡836

2.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.32 ₡1,490

53.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 $7.61

$4.52 ₡2,026

68.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$2.39 ₡1,073

-62.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.08 ₡1,381

4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$2.50 ₡1,119

69.60%

Eggs

$2.74 $2.74

$3.48 ₡1,562

-21.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.68 $6.68

$10.74 ₡4,815

-37.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.62 $12.62

$10.32 ₡4,629

22.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.80 $16.80

$14.10 ₡6,325

19.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$5.03 ₡2,256

6.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.59 ₡714

29.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.84 ₡2,171

-2.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.96 ₡1,776

9.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$3.76 ₡1,684

-50.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.73 ₡1,674

-22.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.08 ₡485

85.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.25 ₡1,456

-11.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.19 $9.19

$5.86 ₡2,627

56.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.90 $9.90

$20.28 ₡9,095

-51.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.90 ₡1,300

-37.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 $5.84

$3.73 ₡1,673

56.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.08 ₡486

102.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.50 ₡1,123

21.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.63 ₡732

-14.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.81 $24.81

$8.71 ₡3,904

184.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.58 ₡709

-33.54%

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

$32.1K $32.1K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-4.44%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-41.16%

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

$182 $182

$93.7 ₡42.0K

93.87%

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

$62.8 $62.8

$35.42 ₡15.9K

77.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$60.0 ₡26.9K

11.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 $73.8

$72.6 ₡32.6K

1.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 $14.78

$7.74 ₡3,471

90.96%

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

$998 $998

$1,005 ₡450.9K

-0.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

15.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.97 $17.97

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-75.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.75 $14.75

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-73.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 $80.8

$128 ₡57.5K

-37.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 $99.4

$130 ₡58.5K

-23.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 $842

$932 ₡418.0K

-9.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 $707

$760 ₡340.8K

-6.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 $1,443

$1,922 ₡862.0K

-24.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 $1,147

$1,276 ₡572.1K

-10.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,301 ₡1.0M

18.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,560 $2,560

$1,833 ₡821.9K

39.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

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 Newton, IA: October 20, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newton, IA

$707 36.8%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 7.4% $53

Groceries & Markets

Newton, IA

$377 19.6%

San Jose

$403 21% 7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newton, IA

$311 16.2%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 39.3% $122

Eating Out

Newton, IA

$308 16%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 25.6% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Newton, IA

$103 5.4%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 14.8% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Newton, IA

$96 5%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 81.9% $78

Getting Around

Newton, IA

$19 * 1%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 329% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $842 in Newton, IA versus $932 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Newton, IA versus $62.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $403 – making Newton, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Newton, IA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

16:39 4:39 PM

15:39 3:39 PM

1 h behind Newton, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,146

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Newton, IA San Jose 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Newton, IA
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

Newton, IA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,881 per month in Newton, IA and $2,886 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Newton, IA, 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 $62.0 in Newton, IA and $62.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $998 per month in Newton, IA and $1,005 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Newton, IA, where all-in costs run around $1,921, than in San Jose at $1,924. In Newton, IA it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Newton, IA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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