Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nicholasville, KY and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,502 in Nicholasville, KY, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nicholasville, KY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

120

Cost of Living Index in Nicholasville, KY
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Nicholasville, KY Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Nicholasville, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,502

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,502 per month in Nicholasville, KY vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Nicholasville, KY $2,502
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,615 per month in Nicholasville, KY vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Nicholasville, KY $3,615
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $4,728 per month in Nicholasville, KY vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Nicholasville, KY $4,728
San Jose $4,054

Nicholasville, KY costs about 19% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Nicholasville, KY and San Jose sit above the global median – Nicholasville, KY by 85%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.12 $14.12

$12.37 ₡5,563

14.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 $57.1

$62.4 ₡28.0K

-8.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 $9.03

$11.71 ₡5,264

-22.89%

Cappuccino

$5.11 $5.11

$4.54 ₡2,040

12.56%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$2.75 ₡1,238

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.86 ₡837

-1.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.35 ₡1,505

48.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 $6.03

$4.32 ₡1,944

39.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$2.36 ₡1,061

-65.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.07 ₡1,379

-7.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.51 ₡1,128

56.18%

Eggs

$3.64 $3.64

$3.53 ₡1,585

3.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.23 $10.23

$10.54 ₡4,738

-2.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 $10.34

$10.57 ₡4,754

-2.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$13.92 ₡6,261

1.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.72 $5.72

$5.20 ₡2,338

10.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.65 ₡740

17.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.89 $6.89

$4.89 ₡2,198

40.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$3.84 ₡1,728

11.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.91 ₡1,757

-20.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.76 ₡1,692

-19.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.12 ₡504

87.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.22 ₡1,447

-14.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.95 $8.95

$6.02 ₡2,706

48.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.79 $15.79

$19.84 ₡8,919

-20.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.81 ₡1,264

-38.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 $6.13

$3.65 ₡1,643

67.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.08 ₡487

71.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.4 $65.4

$65.2 ₡29.3K

0.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.26 ₡1,018

115.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.78 ₡799

8.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.61 $27.61

$7.90 ₡3,551

249.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.50 ₡673

-38.00%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-18.58%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-38.46%

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

$188 $188

$93.2 ₡41.9K

101.27%

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

$51.4 $51.4

$36.13 ₡16.2K

42.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 $73.6

$60.6 ₡27.2K

21.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.15 $40.15

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-41.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$14.30 $14.30

$7.67 ₡3,449

86.44%

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

$530 $530

$972 ₡436.9K

-45.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K $11.0K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-41.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.27 $39.27

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-44.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.65 $47.65

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-15.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 $70.3

$129 ₡57.8K

-45.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$131 ₡58.8K

-6.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 $1,613

$1,170 ₡525.9K

37.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 $1,262

$943 ₡424.1K

33.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,984 ₡892.0K

27.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,083 $2,083

$1,400 ₡629.5K

48.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,182 $3,182

$2,681 ₡1.2M

18.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,573 $2,573

$2,037 ₡915.8K

26.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

8.62

-21.81%

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

Last update for Nicholasville, KY: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nicholasville, KY

$1.3K 50.4%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 25.2% $318

Groceries & Markets

Nicholasville, KY

$390 15.6%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 3.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nicholasville, KY

$313 12.5%

San Jose

$190 9% 39.3% $123

Eating Out

Nicholasville, KY

$256 10.2%

San Jose

$232 11% 9.1% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Nicholasville, KY

$126 5%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 38.4% $48

Getting Around

Nicholasville, KY

$87 3.5%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 7.6% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nicholasville, KY

$69 2.8%

San Jose

$84 4% 22.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,613 in Nicholasville, KY 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Nicholasville, KY versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $390 vs $403 – making Nicholasville, KY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Nicholasville, KY

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

14:15 2:15 PM

13:15 1:15 PM

1 h behind Nicholasville, KY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,791

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

Nicholasville, KY San Jose 3,110 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nicholasville, KY
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

Nicholasville, KY vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nicholasville, KY costs about 19% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,752 per month in Nicholasville, KY and $3,161 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,613 in Nicholasville, KY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,502 in Nicholasville, KY and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 16% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $530 per month in Nicholasville, KY and $972 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 San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Nicholasville, KY at $2,502. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nicholasville, KY 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 $2,502 in Nicholasville, KY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.