Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Arthur, TX and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,568 in Port Arthur, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Port Arthur, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Port Arthur, TX
Learn more

Port Arthur, TX Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Port Arthur, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,568

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,568 in Port Arthur, TX versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Port Arthur, TX $2,568
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,758 in Port Arthur, TX versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Port Arthur, TX $3,758
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,949 in Port Arthur, TX versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Port Arthur, TX $4,949
San Jose $3,934

Living in Port Arthur, TX is roughly 33% 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: Port Arthur, TX 90% above, San Jose 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.64 $18.64

$12.38 ₡5,551

50.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 $73.8

$60.9 ₡27.3K

21.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 $11.12

$11.45 ₡5,135

-2.88%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$4.39 ₡1,967

18.45%

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

$2.51 $2.51

$2.70 ₡1,211

-7.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.93 ₡864

1.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.20 ₡1,433

85.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$4.41 ₡1,979

56.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.44 ₡1,093

-59.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.05 ₡1,369

17.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$2.41 ₡1,081

75.52%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$3.40 ₡1,523

18.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.47 $12.47

$10.75 ₡4,823

16.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.22 $11.22

$10.43 ₡4,679

7.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.73 $15.73

$13.99 ₡6,273

12.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$5.25 ₡2,353

-9.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.59 ₡712

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$4.69 ₡2,103

-11.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.95 ₡1,770

20.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.92 ₡1,760

-29.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.68 ₡1,651

-22.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.12 ₡503

81.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.19 ₡1,429

-31.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.33 $9.33

$6.00 ₡2,692

55.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 $14.26

$19.56 ₡8,771

-27.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.82 ₡1,263

-36.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.59 ₡1,611

-7.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.12 ₡503

83.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.50 ₡1,119

43.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.63 ₡733

0.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.95 $28.95

$8.50 ₡3,812

240.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.56 ₡701

-42.31%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

33.04%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-28.68%

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

$189 $189

$95.2 ₡42.7K

98.47%

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

$52.6 $52.6

$35.58 ₡16.0K

47.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.2 $68.2

$58.6 ₡26.3K

16.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.58 $42.58

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-41.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 $13.44

$7.58 ₡3,401

77.31%

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

$1,320 $1,320

$1,001 ₡449.0K

31.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

34.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-27.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.65 $40.65

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-27.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$130 ₡58.2K

-34.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$131 ₡58.7K

-13.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 $1,582

$927 ₡415.8K

70.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 $1,346

$774 ₡347.2K

73.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,623 $2,623

$1,967 ₡882.0K

33.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 $2,242

$1,288 ₡577.6K

74.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,777 $2,777

$2,274 ₡1.0M

22.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,486 $2,486

$1,831 ₡821.0K

35.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

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 Port Arthur, TX: October 10, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Arthur, TX

$1.3K 52.4%

San Jose

$774 40% 42.5% $572

Groceries & Markets

Port Arthur, TX

$386 15%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 3.9% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Arthur, TX

$310 12.1%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 38.9% $120

Eating Out

Port Arthur, TX

$306 11.9%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 25.1% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Port Arthur, TX

$131 5.1%

San Jose

$174 9% 33.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Port Arthur, TX

$69 2.7%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 26.5% $18

Getting Around

Port Arthur, TX

$20 * 0.8%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 310% $62

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,582 in Port Arthur, TX and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Port Arthur, TX vs $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $401, with Port Arthur, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Port Arthur, TX

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

08:43 8:43 AM

07:43 7:43 AM

1 h behind Port Arthur, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,135

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Arthur, TX San Jose 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Port Arthur, 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

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

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and utilities. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,852 in Port Arthur, TX and $2,907 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: $1,582 in Port Arthur, TX versus $927 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,320 in Port Arthur, TX versus $1,001 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $74.0 in Port Arthur, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,568 in Port Arthur, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Port Arthur, 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 Port Arthur, 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 33% less than in Port Arthur, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.