Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Charleston, SC and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,964 in North Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

141

Cost of Living Index in North Charleston, SC
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North Charleston, SC Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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North Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,964

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,964 per month in North Charleston, SC vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

North Charleston, SC $2,964
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $4,247 per month in North Charleston, SC vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

North Charleston, SC $4,247
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $5,530 per month in North Charleston, SC vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

North Charleston, SC $5,530
San Jose $4,054

North Charleston, SC costs about 41% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both North Charleston, SC and San Jose sit above the global median – North Charleston, SC by 119%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.99 $19.99

$12.37 ₡5,563

61.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.6 $90.6

$62.4 ₡28.0K

45.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 $11.77

$11.71 ₡5,264

0.51%

Cappuccino

$5.85 $5.85

$4.54 ₡2,040

28.85%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$2.75 ₡1,238

6.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.86 ₡837

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$3.35 ₡1,505

74.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.32 ₡1,944

85.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.36 ₡1,061

-58.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 $3.74

$3.07 ₡1,379

21.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.51 ₡1,128

80.08%

Eggs

$4.94 $4.94

$3.53 ₡1,585

39.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.98 $6.98

$10.54 ₡4,738

-33.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.80 $14.80

$10.57 ₡4,754

40.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 $20.65

$13.92 ₡6,261

48.35%

Apples (1kg)

$7.99 $7.99

$5.20 ₡2,338

53.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.65 ₡740

7.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$4.89 ₡2,198

2.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$3.84 ₡1,728

60.68%

Potato (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$3.91 ₡1,757

8.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.76 ₡1,692

-13.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.12 ₡504

140.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.22 ₡1,447

-38.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.07 $9.07

$6.02 ₡2,706

50.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.52 $15.52

$19.84 ₡8,919

-21.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.81 ₡1,264

-24.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.65 ₡1,643

-18.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.08 ₡487

128.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 $50.1

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-23.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.26 ₡1,018

30.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.78 ₡799

-31.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.47 $25.47

$7.90 ₡3,551

222.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.50 ₡673

-32.67%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-20.12%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-40.71%

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

$233 $233

$93.2 ₡41.9K

149.80%

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

$74.5 $74.5

$36.13 ₡16.2K

106.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 $84.9

$60.6 ₡27.2K

40.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.26 $17.26

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-74.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.67 ₡3,449

86.18%

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

$933 $933

$972 ₡436.9K

-3.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K $18.4K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-2.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 $55.8

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-21.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.75 $43.75

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-22.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$129 ₡57.8K

-10.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$131 ₡58.8K

-1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 $2,000

$1,170 ₡525.9K

71.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,525 $1,525

$943 ₡424.1K

61.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,474 $2,474

$1,984 ₡892.0K

24.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,330 $2,330

$1,400 ₡629.5K

66.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,861 $2,861

$2,681 ₡1.2M

6.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,816 $2,816

$2,037 ₡915.8K

38.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,763 $3,763

$987 ₡443.6K

281.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

8.62

-23.32%

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

Last update for North Charleston, SC: 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

North Charleston, SC

$1.5K 51.5%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 38.2% $582

Groceries & Markets

North Charleston, SC

$445 15%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 9.5% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Charleston, SC

$392 13.2%

San Jose

$190 9% 51.6% $202

Eating Out

North Charleston, SC

$332 11.2%

San Jose

$232 11% 30.1% $100

Clothing & Footwear

North Charleston, SC

$155 5.2%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 12.6% $20

Getting Around

North Charleston, SC

$69 2.3%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 17% $12

Sport & Entertainment

North Charleston, SC

$46 1.6%

San Jose

$84 4% 84% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,000 in North Charleston, SC 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 North Charleston, SC are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in North Charleston, SC versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $445 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 North Charleston, SC

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

18:03 6:03 PM

17:03 5:03 PM

1 h behind North Charleston, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

97,471

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 = 0.895 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

North Charleston, SC San Jose 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

North Charleston, SC
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

North Charleston, SC vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Charleston, SC costs about 41% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,446 per month in North Charleston, SC 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 $2,000 in North Charleston, SC.

Groceries cost about 10% more in North Charleston, SC, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in North Charleston, SC and $62 in San Jose. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in North Charleston, SC at $2,964. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in North Charleston, SC 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 $2,964 in North Charleston, SC. 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, North Charleston, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.