Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome, GA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,283 in Rome, GA, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rome, GA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

110

Cost of Living Index in Rome, GA
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Rome, GA Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Rome, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,283

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,283 per month in Rome, GA vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Rome, GA $2,283
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,206 per month in Rome, GA vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Rome, GA $3,206
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $4,129 per month in Rome, GA vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Rome, GA $4,129
San Jose $4,054

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.37 $13.37

$12.37 ₡5,563

8.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.58 $49.58

$62.4 ₡28.0K

-20.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 $8.95

$11.71 ₡5,264

-23.57%

Cappuccino

$5.75 $5.75

$4.54 ₡2,040

26.65%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$2.75 ₡1,238

1.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.86 ₡837

24.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.35 ₡1,505

51.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 $5.85

$4.32 ₡1,944

35.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.36 ₡1,061

-56.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.07 ₡1,379

-2.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.51 ₡1,128

87.65%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$3.53 ₡1,585

15.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 $7.26

$10.54 ₡4,738

-31.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 $7.27

$10.57 ₡4,754

-31.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.43 $9.43

$13.92 ₡6,261

-32.26%

Apples (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$5.20 ₡2,338

19.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.65 ₡740

-29.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$4.89 ₡2,198

-41.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.84 ₡1,728

2.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.91 ₡1,757

-6.65%

Onion (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$3.76 ₡1,692

14.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.12 ₡504

71.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$3.22 ₡1,447

-43.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.53 $7.53

$6.02 ₡2,706

25.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$19.84 ₡8,919

-24.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.81 ₡1,264

-48.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$3.65 ₡1,643

-59.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.08 ₡487

68.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.6 $51.6

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-20.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.26 ₡1,018

34.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.78 ₡799

-12.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.82 $29.82

$7.90 ₡3,551

277.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.50 ₡673

-36.00%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-25.57%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-39.77%

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

$254 $254

$93.2 ₡41.9K

172.55%

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

$44.37 $44.37

$36.13 ₡16.2K

22.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.4 $73.4

$60.6 ₡27.2K

21.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.14 $40.14

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-41.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 $12.18

$7.67 ₡3,449

58.80%

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

$688 $688

$972 ₡436.9K

-29.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K $18.7K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-0.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.72 $24.72

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-65.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.43 $25.43

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-55.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$129 ₡57.8K

-27.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 $157

$131 ₡58.8K

20.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$1,170 ₡525.9K

10.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 $1,061

$943 ₡424.1K

12.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 $1,792

$1,984 ₡892.0K

-9.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,643 $1,643

$1,400 ₡629.5K

17.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,745 $1,745

$2,681 ₡1.2M

-34.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,759 $1,759

$2,037 ₡915.8K

-13.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,732 $2,732

$987 ₡443.6K

176.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

8.62

-22.39%

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

Last update for Rome, GA: 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

Rome, GA

$1.1K 46.5%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 11.1% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome, GA

$372 16.3%

San Jose

$190 9% 48.9% $182

Groceries & Markets

Rome, GA

$320 14%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 25.6% $82

Eating Out

Rome, GA

$260 11.4%

San Jose

$232 11% 10.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Rome, GA

$135 5.9%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 28.8% $39

Getting Around

Rome, GA

$70 3.1%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 15.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Rome, GA

$65 2.8%

San Jose

$84 4% 30.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,289 in Rome, GA 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 Rome, GA are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Rome, GA versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $403 – making Rome, GA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rome, GA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

14:54 2:54 PM

13:54 1:54 PM

1 h behind Rome, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,127

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 = 0.895 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Rome, GA San Jose 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Rome, GA
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

Rome, GA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,283 in Rome, GA, $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,425 per month in Rome, GA and $3,161 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,289 in Rome, GA and $1,170 in San Jose. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Rome, GA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Rome, GA and $62 in San Jose. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,283 in Rome, GA. 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, Rome, GA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.