Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Ann Arbor, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,835 in Ann Arbor, MI, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Ann Arbor, MI
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Ann Arbor, MI Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Ann Arbor, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Ann Arbor, MI

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 Ann Arbor, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,835 in Ann Arbor, MI.

San Jose $2,107
Ann Arbor, MI $2,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $4,204 in Ann Arbor, MI.

San Jose $3,081
Ann Arbor, MI $4,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $5,573 in Ann Arbor, MI.

San Jose $4,054
Ann Arbor, MI $5,573

Living in San Jose costs roughly 26% less than in Ann Arbor, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Ann Arbor, MI 110% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$18.53 $18.53

-33.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$60.4 $60.4

3.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$12.07 $12.07

-2.98%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.01 $5.01

-9.38%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$3.00 $3.00

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.10 $2.10

-11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$6.47 $6.47

-48.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$7.92 $7.92

-45.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.00 $1.00

136.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.92 $3.92

-21.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$4.88 $4.88

-48.57%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.77 $3.77

-6.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$19.77 $19.77

-46.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$13.04 $13.04

-18.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$14.43 $14.43

-3.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$6.85 $6.85

-24.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.93 $1.93

-14.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$3.65 $3.65

33.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$4.54 $4.54

-15.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.42 $2.42

61.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.96 $2.96

27.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.47 $2.47

-54.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.97 $1.97

63.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$10.28 $10.28

-41.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$15.28 $15.28

29.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.07 $2.07

35.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.82 $3.82

-4.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.51 $1.51

-28.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$45.78 $45.78

42.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.08 $3.08

-26.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.51 $1.51

17.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$26.76 $26.76

-70.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.17 $1.17

28.21%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$29.9K $29.9K

12.02%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.0K $26.0K

62.72%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$198 $198

-53.04%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$58.4 $58.4

-38.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$73.4 $73.4

-17.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$49.60 $49.60

38.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$19.59 $19.59

27.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$12.90 $12.90

-40.54%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$2,061 $2,061

-52.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$19.6K $19.6K

-3.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$55.0 $55.0

28.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$43.95 $43.95

28.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$111 $111

15.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$104 $104

25.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$2,164 $2,164

-45.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,482 $1,482

-36.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$4,034 $4,034

-50.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,658 $2,658

-47.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$5,556 $5,556

-51.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,592 $2,592

-21.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$4,874 $4,874

-79.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.6

30.61%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ann Arbor, MI: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Ann Arbor, MI

$1.5K 52.3% 57.1% $539

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Ann Arbor, MI

$430 15.2% 6.8% $27

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Ann Arbor, MI

$313 11.1% 34.8% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Ann Arbor, MI

$330 11.7% 73.9% $140

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Ann Arbor, MI

$142 5% 18.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Ann Arbor, MI

$75 2.7% 10.5% $8.9

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Ann Arbor, MI

$62 2.2% 22.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $2,164 in Ann Arbor, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ann Arbor, MI pays about 4.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $60 in Ann Arbor, MI. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $430, with San Jose cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Ann Arbor, MI

🕒 Local time

12:14 12:14 PM

13:14 1:14 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

123,851

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 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 Ann Arbor, MI 3,600 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Ann Arbor, MI

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 Ann Arbor, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $2,835 in Ann Arbor, MI, so San Jose is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 80% lower in San Jose. 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: $1,170 in San Jose versus $2,164 in Ann Arbor, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ann Arbor, MI – a meal for two runs $60 versus $62 in San Jose. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,107 per month in San Jose versus $2,835 in Ann Arbor, MI – San Jose is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,835 in Ann Arbor, MI, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Ann Arbor, MI. 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.

It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Ann Arbor, MI on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.