Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roy, UT and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,306 in Roy, UT, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Roy, UT outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Roy, UT, United States
San Jose, Costa Rica
Roy, UT
🇺🇸 United States
$2,306
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,107
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,306 per month in Roy, UT vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Roy, UT $2,306
  • San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,333 per month in Roy, UT vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Roy, UT $3,333
  • San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $4,360 per month in Roy, UT vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Roy, UT $4,360
  • San Jose $4,054

Roy, UT costs about 9% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Roy, UT and San Jose sit above the global median – Roy, UT by 71%, San Jose by 56%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Roy, UT
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.64 $17.64
$12.37 ₡5,563
42.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.8 $74.8
$62.4 ₡28.0K
19.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.10 $10.10
$11.71 ₡5,264
-13.75%
Cappuccino
$5.17 $5.17
$4.54 ₡2,040
13.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 $2.28
$2.75 ₡1,238
-17.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.86 ₡837
-8.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.03 $6.03
$3.35 ₡1,505
80.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.18 $8.18
$4.32 ₡1,944
89.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Roy, UT
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.60 $0.60
$2.36 ₡1,061
-74.58%
White Bread (500g)
$2.73 $2.73
$3.07 ₡1,379
-11.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.98 $3.98
$2.51 ₡1,128
58.57%
Eggs
$3.43 $3.43
$3.53 ₡1,585
-2.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.02 $12.02
$10.54 ₡4,738
14.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.99 $11.99
$10.57 ₡4,754
13.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.95 $10.95
$13.92 ₡6,261
-21.34%
Apples (1kg)
$4.06 $4.06
$5.20 ₡2,338
-21.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 $1.37
$1.65 ₡740
-16.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.59 $3.59
$4.89 ₡2,198
-26.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.84 $3.84
$3.84 ₡1,728
-
Potato (1kg)
$2.28 $2.28
$3.91 ₡1,757
-41.69%
Onion (1kg)
$2.54 $2.54
$3.76 ₡1,692
-32.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.87 $1.87
$1.12 ₡504
66.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 $1.93
$3.22 ₡1,447
-40.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.45 $10.45
$6.02 ₡2,706
73.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.03 $15.03
$19.84 ₡8,919
-24.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 $2.66
$2.81 ₡1,264
-5.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.28 $3.28
$3.65 ₡1,643
-10.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Roy, UT
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.99 $1.99
$1.08 ₡487
84.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.7 $60.7
$65.2 ₡29.3K
-6.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.56 $2.56
$2.26 ₡1,018
13.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.33 $2.33
$1.78 ₡799
30.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.99 $12.99
$7.90 ₡3,551
64.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.50 ₡673
-34.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3K $35.3K
$33.5K ₡15.1M
5.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$42.3K ₡19.0M
-39.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Roy, UT
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$194 $194
$93.2 ₡41.9K
107.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$53.1 $53.1
$36.13 ₡16.2K
46.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$83.8 $83.8
$60.6 ₡27.2K
38.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Roy, UT
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.26 $39.26
$68.9 ₡31.0K
-43.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.70 $14.70
$24.94 ₡11.2K
-41.06%
Cinema Ticket
$10.93 $10.93
$7.67 ₡3,449
42.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Roy, UT
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,338 $1,338
$972 ₡436.9K
37.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.2K $26.2K
$18.9K ₡8.5M
38.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Roy, UT
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.70 $39.70
$70.6 ₡31.8K
-43.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.96 $24.96
$56.7 ₡25.5K
-55.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.5 $90.5
$129 ₡57.8K
-29.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 $110
$131 ₡58.8K
-15.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Roy, UT
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,302 $1,302
$1,170 ₡525.9K
11.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,069 $1,069
$943 ₡424.1K
13.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,732 $1,732
$1,984 ₡892.0K
-12.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,654 $1,654
$1,400 ₡629.5K
18.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,456 $2,456
$2,681 ₡1.2M
-8.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,323 $2,323
$2,037 ₡915.8K
14.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Roy, UT
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$987 ₡443.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.46
8.62
-25.06%

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

Last update for Roy, UT: 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
Roy, UT
$1.1K
San Jose
$943 11.8% $126
Groceries & Markets
Roy, UT
$346
San Jose
$403 16.3% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Roy, UT
$331
San Jose
$190 42.6% $141
Eating Out
Roy, UT
$296
San Jose
$232 21.5% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Roy, UT
$119
San Jose
$174 45.8% $55
Getting Around
Roy, UT
$83
San Jose
$81 2.6% $2.2
Sport & Entertainment
Roy, UT
$61
San Jose
$84 37.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,302 in Roy, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Roy, UT versus $62 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Roy, UT vs $403 in San Jose – so Roy, UT wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Roy, UT
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
20:36 8:36 PM
21:36 9:36 PM
1 h ahead of Roy, UT
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
39,306
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Roy, UT San Jose 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Roy, 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
Roy, UT vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Jose cheaper than Roy, UT?
Yes – Roy, UT is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,458 per month in Roy, UT and $3,161 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,302 in Roy, UT.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 7% less in Roy, UT. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,338 per month in Roy, UT and $972 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is Roy, UT or San Jose more family-friendly?
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.

Roy, UT vs other spots: cost of living compared

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