Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Provo, UT and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,286 in Provo, UT, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Provo, UT outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

109

Cost of Living Index in Provo, UT
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Provo, UT Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Provo, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,286

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,286 per month in Provo, UT vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Provo, UT $2,286
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,373 per month in Provo, UT vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Provo, UT $3,373
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $4,460 per month in Provo, UT vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Provo, UT $4,460
San Jose $4,054

Provo, UT costs about 8% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Provo, UT and San Jose sit above the global median – Provo, UT by 69%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.17 $19.17

$12.37 ₡5,563

54.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.6 $80.6

$62.4 ₡28.0K

29.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 $9.93

$11.71 ₡5,264

-15.20%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.54 ₡2,040

20.70%

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

$2.04 $2.04

$2.75 ₡1,238

-25.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.86 ₡837

0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.35 ₡1,505

52.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.17 $8.17

$4.32 ₡1,944

89.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.36 ₡1,061

-59.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.07 ₡1,379

10.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.51 ₡1,128

28.69%

Eggs

$4.01 $4.01

$3.53 ₡1,585

13.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.94 $7.94

$10.54 ₡4,738

-24.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$10.57 ₡4,754

-44.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.22 $11.22

$13.92 ₡6,261

-19.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$5.20 ₡2,338

-17.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.65 ₡740

-12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$4.89 ₡2,198

-45.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.84 ₡1,728

-24.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$3.91 ₡1,757

-17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.76 ₡1,692

-48.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.12 ₡504

57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.22 ₡1,447

-15.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.67 $10.67

$6.02 ₡2,706

77.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.25 $16.25

$19.84 ₡8,919

-18.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.81 ₡1,264

-0.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.65 ₡1,643

-20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.08 ₡487

175.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.3 $84.3

$65.2 ₡29.3K

29.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.26 ₡1,018

53.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.02 $13.02

$7.90 ₡3,551

64.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.50 ₡673

-34.00%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-1.00%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-37.89%

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

$130 $130

$93.2 ₡41.9K

39.05%

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

$44.75 $44.75

$36.13 ₡16.2K

23.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 $62.1

$60.6 ₡27.2K

2.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.37 $22.37

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-67.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 $19.75

$24.94 ₡11.2K

-20.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.86 $10.86

$7.67 ₡3,449

41.59%

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

$940 $940

$972 ₡436.9K

-3.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.63 $46.63

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-33.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 $55.6

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-1.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.7 $63.7

$129 ₡57.8K

-50.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 $79.6

$131 ₡58.8K

-39.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 $1,380

$1,170 ₡525.9K

18.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 $1,168

$943 ₡424.1K

23.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 $1,887

$1,984 ₡892.0K

-4.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 $1,882

$1,400 ₡629.5K

34.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 $2,391

$2,681 ₡1.2M

-10.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,360 $2,360

$2,037 ₡915.8K

15.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,552 $3,552

$987 ₡443.6K

260.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.19

8.62

-16.59%

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

Last update for Provo, UT: 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

Provo, UT

$1.2K 51.1%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 19.3% $225

Groceries & Markets

Provo, UT

$320 14%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 25.7% $82

Eating Out

Provo, UT

$306 13.4%

San Jose

$232 11% 24.2% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Provo, UT

$236 10.3%

San Jose

$190 9% 19.7% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Provo, UT

$111 4.8%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 57.5% $64

Getting Around

Provo, UT

$100 * 4.4%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 19% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Provo, UT

$44 1.9%

San Jose

$84 4% 91.2% $40

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 Provo, UT versus $1,170 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 in Provo, UT are about 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Provo, UT versus $62 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Provo, UT vs $403 in San Jose – so Provo, UT wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Provo, UT

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

04:31 4:31 AM

05:31 5:31 AM

1 h ahead of Provo, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,162

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

Provo, UT San Jose 4,330 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Provo, UT
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

Provo, UT vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Provo, UT costs about 8% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,429 per month in Provo, UT and $3,161 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,380 in Provo, UT.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Provo, UT and $62 in San Jose. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,286 in Provo, UT and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 8% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,286 in Provo, UT. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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