Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plymouth, MI and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,476 in Plymouth, MI, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Plymouth, MI
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Plymouth, MI Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Plymouth, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,476

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Plymouth, MI versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Plymouth, MI $2,476
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,721 in Plymouth, MI versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Plymouth, MI $3,721
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,967 in Plymouth, MI versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Plymouth, MI $4,967
San Jose $4,054

Living in Plymouth, MI is roughly 17% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Plymouth, MI 83% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 $12.67

$12.37 ₡5,546

2.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 $74.7

$62.4 ₡28.0K

19.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 $7.97

$11.71 ₡5,248

-31.94%

Cappuccino

$5.29 $5.29

$4.54 ₡2,034

16.52%

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

$1.95 $1.95

$2.75 ₡1,234

-29.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.86 ₡835

-44.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.35 ₡1,501

47.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 $4.07

$4.32 ₡1,938

-5.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$2.36 ₡1,057

-66.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.07 ₡1,375

-4.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.51 ₡1,124

80.88%

Eggs

$2.84 $2.84

$3.53 ₡1,580

-19.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 $11.16

$10.54 ₡4,724

5.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.40 $17.40

$10.57 ₡4,740

64.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.43 $34.43

$13.92 ₡6,242

147.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$5.20 ₡2,331

-36.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.65 ₡738

-4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$4.89 ₡2,191

38.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.84 ₡1,722

-6.77%

Potato (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$3.91 ₡1,752

45.01%

Onion (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$3.76 ₡1,687

52.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.12 ₡503

89.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.22 ₡1,443

-30.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.21 $10.21

$6.02 ₡2,698

69.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.83 $18.83

$19.84 ₡8,892

-5.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.81 ₡1,261

-18.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 $5.04

$3.65 ₡1,638

38.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.08 ₡485

72.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 $61.3

$65.2 ₡29.2K

-6.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.26 ₡1,015

51.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 $3.19

$1.78 ₡797

79.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$7.90 ₡3,540

26.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.50 ₡671

-36.67%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$33.5K ₡15.0M

-10.49%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-40.47%

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

$233 $233

$93.2 ₡41.8K

150.10%

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

$63.6 $63.6

$36.13 ₡16.2K

76.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 $51.7

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-14.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.53 $34.53

$68.9 ₡30.9K

-49.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$12.28 $12.28

$7.67 ₡3,439

60.10%

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

$641 $641

$972 ₡435.6K

-34.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K $10.1K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-46.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 $60.2

$70.6 ₡31.7K

-14.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 $50.2

$56.7 ₡25.4K

-11.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$129 ₡57.7K

-21.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$131 ₡58.7K

-8.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 $1,611

$1,170 ₡524.3K

37.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 $1,113

$943 ₡422.8K

18.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,248 $2,248

$1,984 ₡889.3K

13.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,959 $1,959

$1,400 ₡627.6K

39.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,776 $2,776

$2,681 ₡1.2M

3.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,341 $2,341

$2,037 ₡913.0K

14.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,890 $4,890

$987 ₡442.3K

395.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

8.62

-23.90%

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

Last update for Plymouth, MI: 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

Plymouth, MI

$1.1K 45%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 15.3% $170

Groceries & Markets

Plymouth, MI

$485 19.6%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 16.9% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plymouth, MI

$348 14.1%

San Jose

$190 9% 45.5% $158

Eating Out

Plymouth, MI

$233 9.4%

San Jose

$232 11% 0.4% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Plymouth, MI

$149 6%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 16.8% $25

Getting Around

Plymouth, MI

$88 3.6%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 8.3% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Plymouth, MI

$59 2.4%

San Jose

$84 4% 42.6% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,611 in Plymouth, MI and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Plymouth, MI pays about 5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Plymouth, MI vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $485 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Plymouth, MI

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

19:26 7:26 PM

18:26 6:26 PM

1 h behind Plymouth, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,217

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 2 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 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 501 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Plymouth, MI San Jose 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Plymouth, MI
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

Plymouth, MI vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Plymouth, MI is about 5 times higher, 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: $1,611 in Plymouth, MI versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Plymouth, MI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62 versus $75 in Plymouth, MI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Plymouth, MI on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.