Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Amarillo, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,282 in Amarillo, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Amarillo, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Amarillo, TX
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Amarillo, TX Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Amarillo, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,282

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $2,282 in Amarillo, TX, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Amarillo, TX $2,282

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $3,529 in Amarillo, TX, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Amarillo, TX $3,529

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $4,775 in Amarillo, TX, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Amarillo, TX $4,775

San Jose is about 16% cheaper than Amarillo, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both San Jose and Amarillo, TX sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Amarillo, TX by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$14.80 $14.80

-16.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$68.3 $68.3

-8.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$13.07 $13.07

-11.78%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$6.94 $6.94

-37.32%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.30 $2.30

14.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$1.58 $1.58

17.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$4.09 $4.09

-18.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$7.14 $7.14

-36.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$1.21 $1.21

97.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$3.23 $3.23

-4.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$3.39 $3.39

-26.25%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$4.44 $4.44

-21.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$16.18 $16.18

-33.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$12.66 $12.66

-18.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$27.71 $27.71

-49.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$4.26 $4.26

18.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.86 $1.86

-14.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$4.60 $4.60

5.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$3.90 $3.90

1.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$2.24 $2.24

67.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.81 $2.81

32.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$1.65 $1.65

-34.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$2.57 $2.57

26.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$10.01 $10.01

-41.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$11.78 $11.78

72.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.07 $2.07

40.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$2.05 $2.05

81.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$0.99 $0.99

9.09%

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

$0.88 $0.88

79.55%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$26.8K $26.8K

25.23%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$26.2K $26.2K

59.20%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$291 $291

-67.86%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$51.2 $51.2

-30.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$88.2 $88.2

-32.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$60.8 $60.8

19.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$9.97 $9.97

-22.37%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$706 $706

42.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$37.68 $37.68

93.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$60.8 $60.8

110.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$118 $118

10.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$1,118 $1,118

-16.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$949 $949

-19.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$1,833 $1,833

4.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$1,979 $1,979

-35.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$1,848 $1,848

24.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$1,603 $1,603

14.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$3,827 $3,827

-73.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.12

40.85%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Amarillo, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Amarillo, TX

$949 41.6% 24.9% $189

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Amarillo, TX

$429 18.8% 6.4% $26

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Amarillo, TX

$291 12.8% 27.2% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Amarillo, TX

$431 18.9% 128% $242

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Amarillo, TX

$97 * 4.3% 44.1% $77

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Amarillo, TX

$81 3.5% 8.3% $7.3

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Amarillo, TX

$4 * 0.2% 95.1% $77

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 $1,118 in Amarillo, TX. 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 272% higher in Amarillo, TX, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in San Jose versus $68.0 in Amarillo, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $429 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Amarillo, TX

🕒 Local time

17:47 5:47 PM

18:47 6:47 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

198,645

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Amarillo, TX 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Amarillo, 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 Amarillo, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,924 in San Jose, $2,282 in Amarillo, TX – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $3,423 in Amarillo, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, 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 $68.0 in Amarillo, TX. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Amarillo, TX, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Amarillo, TX at $2,282. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amarillo, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,924 in San Jose to $2,282 in Amarillo, TX. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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