Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reston, VA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $3,232 in Reston, VA, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Reston, VA
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Reston, VA Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Reston, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,232

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,232 in Reston, VA versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Reston, VA $3,232
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,135 in Reston, VA versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Reston, VA $5,135
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,038 in Reston, VA versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Reston, VA $7,038
San Jose $4,054

Living in Reston, VA is roughly 53% 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: Reston, VA 139% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.57 $23.57

$12.37 ₡5,563

90.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$62.4 ₡28.0K

91.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.71 ₡5,264

-15.63%

Cappuccino

$6.31 $6.31

$4.54 ₡2,040

38.99%

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

$2.85 $2.85

$2.75 ₡1,238

3.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.86 ₡837

39.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.20 $7.20

$3.35 ₡1,505

114.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.32 ₡1,944

64.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$2.36 ₡1,061

-43.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$3.07 ₡1,379

35.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$2.51 ₡1,128

77.29%

Eggs

$5.30 $5.30

$3.53 ₡1,585

50.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 $16.74

$10.54 ₡4,738

58.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.05 $17.05

$10.57 ₡4,754

61.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.54 $23.54

$13.92 ₡6,261

69.11%

Apples (1kg)

$7.43 $7.43

$5.20 ₡2,338

42.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.65 ₡740

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.89 ₡2,198

-16.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$3.84 ₡1,728

47.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.91 ₡1,757

-26.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.76 ₡1,692

3.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.12 ₡504

160.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.22 ₡1,447

-23.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.10 $14.10

$6.02 ₡2,706

134.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.81 $17.81

$19.84 ₡8,919

-10.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.81 ₡1,264

-39.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 $4.79

$3.65 ₡1,643

31.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.08 ₡487

278.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$130 $130

$65.2 ₡29.3K

99.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.26 ₡1,018

79.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.78 ₡799

-12.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.77 $24.77

$7.90 ₡3,551

213.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.50 ₡673

-38.00%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-9.51%

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

$23.6K $23.6K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-44.17%

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

$211 $211

$93.2 ₡41.9K

126.26%

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

$64.3 $64.3

$36.13 ₡16.2K

77.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.5 $79.5

$60.6 ₡27.2K

31.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 $100

$68.9 ₡31.0K

45.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.10 $30.10

$24.94 ₡11.2K

20.69%

Cinema Ticket

$15.91 $15.91

$7.67 ₡3,449

107.43%

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

$2,910 $2,910

$972 ₡436.9K

199.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$51.0K $51.0K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

170.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$70.6 ₡31.8K

6.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.52 $44.52

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-21.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$129 ₡57.8K

-19.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$131 ₡58.8K

-3.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,332 $2,332

$1,170 ₡525.9K

99.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 $1,561

$943 ₡424.1K

65.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,658 $3,658

$1,984 ₡892.0K

84.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,142 $3,142

$1,400 ₡629.5K

124.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,516 $6,516

$2,681 ₡1.2M

143.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,279 $4,279

$2,037 ₡915.8K

110.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,253 $6,253

$987 ₡443.6K

533.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

8.62

-20.42%

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

Last update for Reston, VA: 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

Reston, VA

$1.6K 48.3%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 39.6% $618

Groceries & Markets

Reston, VA

$503 15.6%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 20% $100

Eating Out

Reston, VA

$366 11.3%

San Jose

$232 11% 36.5% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reston, VA

$355 11%

San Jose

$190 9% 46.5% $165

Getting Around

Reston, VA

$159 4.9%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 49.1% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Reston, VA

$157 4.9%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 10.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Reston, VA

$132 4.1%

San Jose

$84 4% 36.1% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,332 in Reston, VA and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reston, VA pays about 6.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $120 in Reston, VA vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $503 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Reston, VA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

06:57 6:57 AM

05:57 5:57 AM

1 h behind Reston, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,404

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

Reston, VA San Jose 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Reston, VA
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

Reston, VA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Reston, VA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Reston, VA is about 6.3 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: $2,332 in Reston, VA versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62 versus $120 in Reston, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,232 per month in Reston, VA versus $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $3,232 in Reston, VA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Reston, VA. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Reston, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.