Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plantation, FL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,632 in Plantation, FL, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Plantation, FL
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Plantation, FL Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Plantation, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,632

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,632 in Plantation, FL versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Plantation, FL $2,632
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,845 in Plantation, FL versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Plantation, FL $3,845
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,058 in Plantation, FL versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Plantation, FL $5,058
San Jose $4,054

Living in Plantation, FL is roughly 25% 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: Plantation, FL 95% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.93 $18.93

$12.37 ₡5,563

53.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 $73.6

$62.4 ₡28.0K

17.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 $10.92

$11.71 ₡5,264

-6.75%

Cappuccino

$4.94 $4.94

$4.54 ₡2,040

8.81%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$2.75 ₡1,238

-6.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.86 ₡837

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.35 ₡1,505

82.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.32 ₡1,944

58.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.36 ₡1,061

-56.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.07 ₡1,379

15.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$2.51 ₡1,128

68.92%

Eggs

$4.21 $4.21

$3.53 ₡1,585

19.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 $12.30

$10.54 ₡4,738

16.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 $11.27

$10.57 ₡4,754

6.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 $15.37

$13.92 ₡6,261

10.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$5.20 ₡2,338

-8.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.65 ₡740

-1.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.89 ₡2,198

-15.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.84 ₡1,728

24.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.91 ₡1,757

-29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.76 ₡1,692

-26.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.12 ₡504

78.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$3.22 ₡1,447

-35.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.62 $9.62

$6.02 ₡2,706

59.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.21 $14.21

$19.84 ₡8,919

-28.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.81 ₡1,264

-37.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$3.65 ₡1,643

-6.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.08 ₡487

90.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.9 $60.9

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-6.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.26 ₡1,018

51.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.78 ₡799

-10.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.75 $28.75

$7.90 ₡3,551

263.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.50 ₡673

-39.33%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-11.36%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-38.38%

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

$189 $189

$93.2 ₡41.9K

102.98%

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

$51.9 $51.9

$36.13 ₡16.2K

43.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$60.6 ₡27.2K

12.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.05 $43.05

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-37.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$13.57 $13.57

$7.67 ₡3,449

76.92%

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

$1,323 $1,323

$972 ₡436.9K

36.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

22.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 $51.9

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-26.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.43 $40.43

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-28.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 $87.7

$129 ₡57.8K

-31.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$131 ₡58.8K

-15.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 $1,572

$1,170 ₡525.9K

34.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 $1,352

$943 ₡424.1K

43.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,654 $2,654

$1,984 ₡892.0K

33.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,235 $2,235

$1,400 ₡629.5K

59.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,822 $2,822

$2,681 ₡1.2M

5.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,431 $2,431

$2,037 ₡915.8K

19.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

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 Plantation, FL: 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

Plantation, FL

$1.4K 51.4%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 30.2% $408

Groceries & Markets

Plantation, FL

$384 14.6%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 4.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plantation, FL

$309 11.7%

San Jose

$190 9% 38.5% $119

Eating Out

Plantation, FL

$306 11.6%

San Jose

$232 11% 24% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Plantation, FL

$131 5%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 33.2% $43

Getting Around

Plantation, FL

$80 3.1%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 0.3% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Plantation, FL

$70 2.7%

San Jose

$84 4% 20.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Plantation, FL and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74 in Plantation, FL vs $62 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $403, with Plantation, FL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Plantation, FL

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

10:41 10:41 AM

1 h behind Plantation, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,938

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

Plantation, FL San Jose 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Plantation, FL
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

Plantation, FL vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 20% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,948 in Plantation, FL and $3,161 in San Jose to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,572 in Plantation, FL versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,323 in Plantation, FL versus $972 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Plantation, FL pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,632 in Plantation, FL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Plantation, FL. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.