Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Abilene, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,186 in Abilene, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Abilene, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Abilene, TX
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Abilene, TX Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Abilene, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,186

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Abilene, TX

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 Abilene, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,186 in Abilene, TX.

San Jose $1,938
Abilene, TX $2,186

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,936 in San Jose versus $3,178 in Abilene, TX.

San Jose $2,936
Abilene, TX $3,178

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,934 in San Jose versus $4,169 in Abilene, TX.

San Jose $3,934
Abilene, TX $4,169

Living in San Jose costs roughly 11% less than in Abilene, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 44% above, Abilene, TX 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$18.06 $18.06

-31.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$64.4 $64.4

-5.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$9.13 $9.13

25.41%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$5.47 $5.47

-19.74%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$2.38 $2.38

13.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$1.86 $1.86

3.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$4.97 $4.97

-35.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$5.81 $5.81

-24.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.03 $1.03

136.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$2.32 $2.32

31.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$5.63 $5.63

-57.19%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$3.73 $3.73

-8.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$8.39 $8.39

28.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$13.02 $13.02

-19.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$14.06 $14.06

-0.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$3.39 $3.39

54.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$0.97 $0.97

63.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$4.67 $4.67

0.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$5.30 $5.30

-25.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$4.22 $4.22

-7.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$3.51 $3.51

4.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.48 $2.48

-54.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.96 $1.96

62.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$5.85 $5.85

2.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$11.31 $11.31

72.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$2.55 $2.55

10.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$4.11 $4.11

-12.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.71 $1.71

-34.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$53.3 $53.3

25.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$14.86 $14.86

-42.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.86 $0.86

81.40%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$19.1K $19.1K

17.24%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$24.5K $24.5K

45.45%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$236 $236

-59.71%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$58.7 $58.7

-39.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$61.3 $61.3

-4.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$20.16 $20.16

260.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$12.02 $12.02

-36.94%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$42.11 $42.11

67.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$19.74 $19.74

182.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$62.9 $62.9

106.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$65.6 $65.6

99.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$1,160 $1,160

-20.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$981 $981

-21.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$1,847 $1,847

6.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$1,601 $1,601

-19.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$1,667 $1,667

36.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$1,711 $1,711

6.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$3,281 $3,281

-69.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.49

32.82%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Abilene, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Abilene, TX

$981 44.9% 26.7% $207

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Abilene, TX

$368 16.8% 8.2% $33

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Abilene, TX

$291 13.3% 26.9% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Abilene, TX

$356 16.3% 88.1% $167

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Abilene, TX

$86 3.9% 50.8% $88

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Abilene, TX

$44 2% 49.7% $44

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Abilene, TX

$60 * 2.8% 26.6% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in San Jose and $1,160 in Abilene, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abilene, TX pays 223% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in San Jose vs $64.0 in Abilene, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $368, with Abilene, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Abilene, TX

🕒 Local time

03:09 3:09 AM

04:09 4:09 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

125,182

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Abilene, TX 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Abilene, TX

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 Abilene, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose and Abilene, TX differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,938 vs $2,186 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 223% lower in Abilene, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $927 in San Jose versus $1,160 in Abilene, TX. 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 $61.0 versus $64.0 in Abilene, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in San Jose runs roughly 25% less than in Abilene, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,186 in Abilene, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Abilene, TX. 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 13% less than in Abilene, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.