Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Aberdeen, SD

For one person, living costs are similar in San Jose and in Aberdeen, SD: $1,924 and $1,876 a month, rent and utilities included.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Aberdeen, SD
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Aberdeen, SD Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Aberdeen, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$1,876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Aberdeen, SD

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Jose and in Aberdeen, SD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $1,876 in Aberdeen, SD, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Aberdeen, SD $1,876

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $2,673 in Aberdeen, SD, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Aberdeen, SD $2,673

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $3,470 in Aberdeen, SD, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Aberdeen, SD $3,470

San Jose costs about 3% more than Aberdeen, SD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both San Jose and Aberdeen, SD sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Aberdeen, SD by 38%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$9.94 $9.94

23.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$64.7 $64.7

-3.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$9.88 $9.88

16.70%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$4.26 $4.26

2.11%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.43 $2.43

8.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$2.52 $2.52

-26.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$3.92 $3.92

-15.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$6.97 $6.97

-35.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$0.93 $0.93

156.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$2.40 $2.40

28.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$5.31 $5.31

-52.92%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$5.90 $5.90

-41.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$10.12 $10.12

6.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$10.19 $10.19

1.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$18.30 $18.30

-22.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$4.30 $4.30

16.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$2.39 $2.39

-33.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$3.87 $3.87

25.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$4.05 $4.05

-2.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$3.94 $3.94

-4.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.61 $2.61

42.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.69 $2.69

-59.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$4.95 $4.95

-34.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$30.09 $30.09

-32.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$0.90 $0.90

75.56%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$729 $729

37.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$45.66 $45.66

59.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$25.26 $25.26

119.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$76.3 $76.3

68.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$1,103 $1,103

-15.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$1,162 $1,162

-34.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$1,841 $1,841

4.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$1,611 $1,611

-20.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$1,462 $1,462

57.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$1,426 $1,426

28.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$5,225 $5,225

-80.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.76

27.51%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Aberdeen, SD: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Aberdeen, SD

$1.2K 62% 52.9% $402

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Aberdeen, SD

$433 * 23.1% 7.5% $30

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Aberdeen, SD

$214 11.4% 6.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Aberdeen, SD

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Aberdeen, SD

$66 * 3.5% 62% $108

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Aberdeen, SD

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Aberdeen, SD

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $1,103 in Aberdeen, SD. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 408% higher in Aberdeen, SD, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in San Jose versus $65.0 in Aberdeen, SD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $433 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Aberdeen, SD

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

06:39 6:39 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

24,071

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Aberdeen, SD 4,180 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Aberdeen, SD

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

San Jose vs Aberdeen, SD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose costs about 3% more than Aberdeen, SD, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $2,813 in Aberdeen, SD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aberdeen, SD, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in San Jose and $65.0 in Aberdeen, SD. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in San Jose – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Aberdeen, SD, where all-in costs run around $1,876, than in San Jose at $1,924. In Aberdeen, SD it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aberdeen, SD costs $1,876 versus $1,924 in San Jose. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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