Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Prescott, AZ and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,700 in Prescott, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Prescott, AZ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

130

Cost of Living Index in Prescott, AZ
Learn more

Prescott, AZ Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Prescott, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,700

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,700 per month in Prescott, AZ vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Prescott, AZ $2,700
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,713 per month in Prescott, AZ vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Prescott, AZ $3,713
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,725 per month in Prescott, AZ vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Prescott, AZ $4,725
San Jose $3,929

Prescott, AZ costs about 40% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Prescott, AZ and San Jose sit above the global median – Prescott, AZ by 99%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.46 $17.46

$12.29 ₡5,513

42.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 $73.0

$62.3 ₡27.9K

17.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.79 $12.79

$11.53 ₡5,171

10.93%

Cappuccino

$5.34 $5.34

$4.35 ₡1,953

22.76%

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

$1.72 $1.72

$2.64 ₡1,183

-34.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.86 ₡836

-10.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.59 $6.59

$3.32 ₡1,490

98.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.42 $7.42

$4.52 ₡2,026

64.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.39 ₡1,073

-60.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.08 ₡1,381

5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.50 ₡1,119

98.80%

Eggs

$4.72 $4.72

$3.48 ₡1,562

35.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.77 $13.77

$10.74 ₡4,815

28.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.43 $11.43

$10.32 ₡4,629

10.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.05 $17.05

$14.10 ₡6,325

20.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$5.03 ₡2,256

-12.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.59 ₡714

-20.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$4.84 ₡2,171

-19.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.96 ₡1,776

-4.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.76 ₡1,684

-33.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.73 ₡1,674

-21.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.08 ₡485

93.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.25 ₡1,456

-34.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.99 $10.99

$5.86 ₡2,627

87.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.93 $12.93

$20.28 ₡9,095

-36.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.73 ₡1,673

-2.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.50 ₡1,123

7.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.63 ₡732

-17.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.82 $35.82

$8.71 ₡3,904

311.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.58 ₡709

-36.71%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

7.11%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-37.65%

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

$195 $195

$93.7 ₡42.0K

108.19%

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

$48.50 $48.50

$35.42 ₡15.9K

36.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.9 $74.9

$60.0 ₡26.9K

24.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 $50.7

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-30.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$12.57 $12.57

$7.74 ₡3,471

62.40%

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

$369 $369

$1,005 ₡450.9K

-63.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K $15.4K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-9.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 $56.1

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-23.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.35 $43.35

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-21.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 $82.4

$128 ₡57.5K

-35.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$130 ₡58.5K

-14.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 $1,380

$932 ₡418.0K

48.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,478 $1,478

$760 ₡340.8K

94.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,436 $2,436

$1,922 ₡862.0K

26.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 $2,039

$1,276 ₡572.1K

59.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,387 $4,387

$2,301 ₡1.0M

90.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,715 $3,715

$1,833 ₡821.9K

102.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,946 $3,946

$1,029 ₡461.3K

283.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.22

8.62

-27.84%

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

Last update for Prescott, AZ: 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

Prescott, AZ

$1.5K 54.7%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 48.6% $718

Groceries & Markets

Prescott, AZ

$383 14.2%

San Jose

$403 21% 5.2% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Prescott, AZ

$318 11.8%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 40.6% $129

Eating Out

Prescott, AZ

$303 11.2%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 24.6% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Prescott, AZ

$132 4.9%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 31.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Prescott, AZ

$76 2.8%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 16.1% $12

Getting Around

Prescott, AZ

$9.4 * 0.4%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 756% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,380 in Prescott, AZ versus $932 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 284% higher in Prescott, 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 $73.0 in Prescott, AZ versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $383 in Prescott, AZ vs $403 in San Jose – so Prescott, AZ wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Prescott, AZ

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

12:35 12:35 PM

13:35 1:35 PM

1 h ahead of Prescott, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,827

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Prescott, AZ San Jose 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Prescott, 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

Prescott, AZ vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Prescott, AZ is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,050 per month in Prescott, AZ and $2,886 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Prescott, AZ and $62.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Prescott, AZ – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Prescott, AZ at $2,700. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Prescott, AZ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Prescott, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.