Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Peoria, AZ and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,745 in Peoria, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Peoria, AZ
🇺🇸 United States
$2,745
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,949
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,745 per month in Peoria, AZ vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Peoria, AZ $2,745
  • San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $2,881 per month in Peoria, AZ vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Peoria, AZ $2,881
  • San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Peoria, AZ vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Peoria, AZ $3,016
  • San Jose $3,857

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

Both Peoria, AZ and San Jose sit above the global median – Peoria, AZ by 105%, San Jose by 45%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Peoria, AZ
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.33 $20.33
$12.22 ₡5,510
66.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.7 $86.7
$60.1 ₡27.1K
44.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.26 $14.26
$11.77 ₡5,305
21.16%
Cappuccino
$5.93 $5.93
$4.30 ₡1,939
37.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 $3.27
$2.72 ₡1,226
20.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 $2.25
$1.84 ₡830
22.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.89 $5.89
$3.28 ₡1,480
79.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.05 $8.05
$4.36 ₡1,966
84.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Peoria, AZ
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.80 $0.80
$2.38 ₡1,074
-66.39%
White Bread (500g)
$4.06 $4.06
$3.12 ₡1,408
30.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.48 $6.48
$2.41 ₡1,086
168.88%
Eggs
$4.39 $4.39
$3.47 ₡1,564
26.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.35 $13.35
$10.57 ₡4,767
26.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.29 $11.29
$10.56 ₡4,758
6.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.04 $17.04
$13.75 ₡6,196
23.93%
Apples (1kg)
$4.46 $4.46
$5.04 ₡2,274
-11.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 $1.91
$1.61 ₡727
18.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.28 $4.28
$4.59 ₡2,069
-6.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$3.84 ₡1,731
12.76%
Potato (1kg)
$3.77 $3.77
$3.77 ₡1,700
-
Onion (1kg)
$3.01 $3.01
$3.76 ₡1,693
-19.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.12 $2.12
$1.12 ₡506
89.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.44 $2.44
$3.20 ₡1,441
-23.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.59 $10.59
$5.84 ₡2,632
81.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.47 $13.47
$19.73 ₡8,897
-31.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.38 $2.38
$2.75 ₡1,240
-13.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 $3.08
$3.66 ₡1,650
-15.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Peoria, AZ
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.97 $1.97
$1.12 ₡503
75.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.8 $64.8
$65.1 ₡29.4K
-0.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.77 $2.77
$2.46 ₡1,110
12.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.36 $1.36
$1.54 ₡692
-11.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.43 $36.43
$8.46 ₡3,815
330.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.55 ₡699
-27.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$21.7K ₡9.8M
65.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K $25.2K
$34.9K ₡15.7M
-27.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Peoria, AZ
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$240 $240
$94.7 ₡42.7K
153.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$60.8 $60.8
$35.11 ₡15.8K
73.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.3 $74.3
$58.6 ₡26.4K
26.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Peoria, AZ
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.95 $20.95
$72.2 ₡32.5K
-70.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$25.19 ₡11.4K
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.17 $13.17
$7.83 ₡3,532
68.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Peoria, AZ
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,115 $1,115
$971 ₡437.9K
14.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.6K $15.6K
$17.0K ₡7.7M
-8.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Peoria, AZ
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.1 $54.1
$71.6 ₡32.3K
-24.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.23 $44.23
$54.9 ₡24.7K
-19.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.4 $97.4
$129 ₡58.2K
-24.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 $112
$133 ₡60.0K
-15.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Peoria, AZ
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,577 $1,577
$934 ₡420.9K
68.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,315 $1,315
$770 ₡347.2K
70.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,945 ₡876.7K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,316 ₡593.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,277 ₡1.0M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,795 ₡809.1K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Peoria, AZ
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,494 $4,494
$1,006 ₡453.5K
346.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.63
8.62
-23.09%

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

Last update for Peoria, AZ: October 5, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Peoria, AZ
$1.3K
San Jose
$770 41.4% $545
Groceries & Markets
Peoria, AZ
$412
San Jose
$399 3.2% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Peoria, AZ
$375
San Jose
$188 49.8% $187
Eating Out
Peoria, AZ
$344
San Jose
$228 33.7% $116
Clothing & Footwear
Peoria, AZ
$139
San Jose
$175 26.2% $36
Getting Around
Peoria, AZ
$82
San Jose
$80 3.1% $2.6
Sport & Entertainment
Peoria, AZ
$47
San Jose
$88 85.8% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,577 in Peoria, AZ versus $934 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 run about 347% higher in Peoria, AZ, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Peoria, AZ versus $60.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $412 vs $399 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Peoria, AZ
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
18:18 6:18 PM
19:18 7:18 PM
1 h ahead of Peoria, AZ
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
113,150
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Peoria, AZ San Jose 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Peoria, AZ
  • 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
Peoria, AZ vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Peoria, AZ or San Jose?
Peoria, AZ 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Peoria, AZ and in San Jose?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,118 per month in Peoria, AZ and $2,924 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Peoria, AZ or San Jose?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Peoria, AZ and in San Jose?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Peoria, AZ and $60.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Peoria, AZ compared to San Jose?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,745 in Peoria, AZ and $1,949 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 41%.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Peoria, AZ or in San Jose?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Peoria, AZ at $2,745. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Peoria, AZ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Peoria, AZ or San Jose?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,949 versus $2,745 in Peoria, AZ. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Peoria, AZ or to San Jose?
If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Peoria, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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