Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plano, TX and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,597 in Plano, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Plano, TX
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Plano, TX Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Plano, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,597

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,597 in Plano, TX versus $1,924 in San Jose.

Plano, TX $2,597
San Jose $1,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,016 in Plano, TX versus $2,926 in San Jose.

Plano, TX $4,016
San Jose $2,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,435 in Plano, TX versus $3,929 in San Jose.

Plano, TX $5,435
San Jose $3,929

Living in Plano, TX is roughly 35% 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: Plano, TX 92% above, San Jose 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.95 $19.95

$12.29 ₡5,513

62.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 $77.1

$62.3 ₡27.9K

23.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 $10.19

$11.53 ₡5,171

-11.62%

Cappuccino

$5.51 $5.51

$4.35 ₡1,953

26.67%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$2.64 ₡1,183

0.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.86 ₡836

26.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 $6.80

$3.32 ₡1,490

104.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 $7.65

$4.52 ₡2,026

69.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.39 ₡1,073

-60.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.08 ₡1,381

4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.50 ₡1,119

93.20%

Eggs

$4.81 $4.81

$3.48 ₡1,562

38.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 $13.31

$10.74 ₡4,815

23.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 $11.29

$10.32 ₡4,629

9.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 $18.73

$14.10 ₡6,325

32.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$5.03 ₡2,256

-8.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.59 ₡714

-2.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$4.84 ₡2,171

-42.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.96 ₡1,776

-23.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$3.76 ₡1,684

-38.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$3.73 ₡1,674

-32.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.08 ₡485

77.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.25 ₡1,456

-12.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.21 $10.21

$5.86 ₡2,627

74.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 $15.91

$20.28 ₡9,095

-21.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.73 ₡1,673

-13.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.61 $4.61

$1.08 ₡486

326.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$65.5 ₡29.4K

62.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.50 ₡1,123

16.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.63 ₡732

6.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.92 $14.92

$8.71 ₡3,904

71.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.58 ₡709

-41.77%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-19.27%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-37.94%

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

$194 $194

$93.7 ₡42.0K

106.84%

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

$47.18 $47.18

$35.42 ₡15.9K

33.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 $54.7

$60.0 ₡26.9K

-8.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.8 $91.8

$72.6 ₡32.6K

26.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.93 $3.93

$25.83 ₡11.6K

-84.79%

Cinema Ticket

$15.01 $15.01

$7.74 ₡3,471

93.93%

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

$1,312 $1,312

$1,005 ₡450.9K

30.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K $24.3K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

43.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 $58.5

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-19.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.94 $37.94

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-31.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 $87.2

$128 ₡57.5K

-31.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 $68.3

$130 ₡58.5K

-47.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 $1,550

$932 ₡418.0K

66.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 $1,212

$760 ₡340.8K

59.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,748 $2,748

$1,922 ₡862.0K

42.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,374 $2,374

$1,276 ₡572.1K

86.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,365 $2,365

$2,301 ₡1.0M

2.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,423 $2,423

$1,833 ₡821.9K

32.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,756 $5,756

$1,029 ₡461.3K

459.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

8.62

-24.48%

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

Last update for Plano, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Plano, TX

$1.2K 46.7%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 37.3% $452

Groceries & Markets

Plano, TX

$392 15.1%

San Jose

$403 21% 2.9% $11

Eating Out

Plano, TX

$326 12.5%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 29.7% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plano, TX

$296 11.4%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 36% $107

Getting Around

Plano, TX

$136 5.3%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 41% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Plano, TX

$122 4.7%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 27.7% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Plano, TX

$113 4.4%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 53.7% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,550 in Plano, TX and $932 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Plano, TX pays 460% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $77.0 in Plano, TX vs $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $403, with Plano, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Plano, TX

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

18:27 6:27 PM

17:27 5:27 PM

1 h behind Plano, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

288,253

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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Highest

Between locations

Plano, TX San Jose 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Plano, TX
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

Plano, TX vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 460% higher in Plano, TX, 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: $1,550 in Plano, TX versus $932 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,312 in Plano, TX versus $1,005 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Plano, TX pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,597 in Plano, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Plano, TX. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Jose is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Plano, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Plano, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.