Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quincy, MA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $4,172 in Quincy, MA, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

198

Cost of Living Index in Quincy, MA
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Quincy, MA Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Quincy, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,172

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,172 per month in Quincy, MA vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Quincy, MA $4,172
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $5,775 per month in Quincy, MA vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Quincy, MA $5,775
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $7,379 per month in Quincy, MA vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Quincy, MA $7,379
San Jose $4,054

Quincy, MA costs about 98% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Quincy, MA and San Jose sit above the global median – Quincy, MA by 209%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.67 $29.67

$12.37 ₡5,563

139.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$62.4 ₡28.0K

89.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$11.71 ₡5,264

3.33%

Cappuccino

$5.23 $5.23

$4.54 ₡2,040

15.20%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$2.75 ₡1,238

6.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.86 ₡837

36.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 $6.79

$3.35 ₡1,505

102.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$4.32 ₡1,944

81.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.36 ₡1,061

-46.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 $3.87

$3.07 ₡1,379

26.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.51 ₡1,128

117.13%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$3.53 ₡1,585

38.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 $11.08

$10.54 ₡4,738

5.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.26 $14.26

$10.57 ₡4,754

34.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.97 $17.97

$13.92 ₡6,261

29.09%

Apples (1kg)

$6.90 $6.90

$5.20 ₡2,338

32.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.65 ₡740

26.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.61 $6.61

$4.89 ₡2,198

35.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$3.84 ₡1,728

71.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.91 ₡1,757

-9.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.76 ₡1,692

5.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.12 ₡504

135.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$3.22 ₡1,447

-51.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.13 $13.13

$6.02 ₡2,706

118.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 $13.96

$19.84 ₡8,919

-29.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.81 ₡1,264

-26.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$3.65 ₡1,643

7.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.08 ₡487

121.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$65.2 ₡29.3K

67.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.26 ₡1,018

79.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.78 ₡799

0.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.37 $28.37

$7.90 ₡3,551

259.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.50 ₡673

-24.00%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-17.86%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-36.72%

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

$242 $242

$93.2 ₡41.9K

159.18%

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

$56.9 $56.9

$36.13 ₡16.2K

57.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.2 $80.2

$60.6 ₡27.2K

32.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.3 $79.3

$68.9 ₡31.0K

15.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.4 $50.4

$24.94 ₡11.2K

101.96%

Cinema Ticket

$15.19 $15.19

$7.67 ₡3,449

98.04%

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

$1,808 $1,808

$972 ₡436.9K

86.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.5K $44.5K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

135.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 $64.1

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-9.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.57 $38.57

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-31.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 $100.0

$129 ₡57.8K

-22.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$131 ₡58.8K

-22.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 $3,126

$1,170 ₡525.9K

167.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,556 $2,556

$943 ₡424.1K

170.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,514 $4,514

$1,984 ₡892.0K

127.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,622 $3,622

$1,400 ₡629.5K

158.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,261 $3,261

$2,681 ₡1.2M

21.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,247 $1,247

$2,037 ₡915.8K

-38.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,950 $5,950

$987 ₡443.6K

503.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

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

Last update for Quincy, MA: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quincy, MA

$2.6K 61.3%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 63.1% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Quincy, MA

$452 10.8%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 10.8% $49

Eating Out

Quincy, MA

$408 9.8%

San Jose

$232 11% 43% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quincy, MA

$379 9.1%

San Jose

$190 9% 49.8% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Quincy, MA

$137 3.3%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 27.2% $37

Getting Around

Quincy, MA

$132 3.2%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 38.6% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Quincy, MA

$110 2.6%

San Jose

$84 4% 23.2% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,126 in Quincy, MA 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 Quincy, MA are about 6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Quincy, MA versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $452 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Quincy, MA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

06:59 6:59 AM

1 h behind Quincy, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,271

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

Quincy, MA San Jose 3,810 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Quincy, MA
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

Quincy, MA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Quincy, MA is pricier by about 98%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,258 per month in Quincy, MA 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 $3,126 in Quincy, MA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,172 in Quincy, MA and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 49% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 40% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Quincy, MA at $4,172. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Quincy, MA 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Quincy, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.