Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Athens, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens, OH: $1,701 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Athens, OH
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Athens, OH Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Athens, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Athens, OH

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 Athens, OH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $1,701 in Athens, OH.

San Jose $2,107
Athens, OH $1,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $2,538 in Athens, OH.

San Jose $3,081
Athens, OH $2,538

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $3,374 in Athens, OH.

San Jose $4,054
Athens, OH $3,374

Living in San Jose is roughly 24% more expensive than in Athens, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Athens, OH 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$15.24 $15.24

-18.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$54.9 $54.9

13.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$8.78 $8.78

33.37%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$4.95 $4.95

-8.28%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.28 $2.28

20.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.45 $1.45

28.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$4.86 $4.86

-31.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$7.01 $7.01

-38.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.74 $0.74

218.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.12 $2.12

44.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$2.92 $2.92

-14.04%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.25 $4.25

-16.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$12.71 $12.71

-17.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$8.59 $8.59

23.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$15.93 $15.93

-12.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$3.57 $3.57

45.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$0.92 $0.92

79.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$2.70 $2.70

81.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$3.09 $3.09

24.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$1.69 $1.69

131.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.18 $2.18

72.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.73 $1.73

-35.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.87 $1.87

72.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$9.11 $9.11

-33.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$15.30 $15.30

29.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.16 $2.16

30.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.93 $2.93

24.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.01 $1.01

6.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.70 $3.70

-38.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.25 $1.25

42.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$25.10 $25.10

-68.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.89 $0.89

68.54%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$36.4K $36.4K

-7.99%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.6K $26.6K

58.81%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$152 $152

-38.65%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$29.66 $29.66

21.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$48.66 $48.66

24.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$11.84 $11.84

-35.22%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,298 $1,298

-25.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$25.8K $25.8K

-26.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$46.01 $46.01

53.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$43.86 $43.86

29.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$64.3 $64.3

100.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$108 $108

21.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,320 $1,320

-11.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$732 $732

28.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$1,473 $1,473

34.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,242 $1,242

12.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$1,636 $1,636

63.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$1,660 $1,660

22.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,356 $3,356

-70.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.84

26.02%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Athens, OH: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Athens, OH

$732 43.1% 22.3% $211

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Athens, OH

$322 18.9% 20.1% $81

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Athens, OH

$261 15.3% 12.3% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Athens, OH

$230 13.5% 21.2% $40

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Athens, OH

$118 6.9% 32.2% $56

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Athens, OH

$24 * 1.4% 71.9% $61

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Athens, OH

$14 * 0.8% 82.6% $67

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 $1,170 in San Jose and $1,320 in Athens, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens, OH pays about 3.4 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $55 in Athens, OH for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $322 per month, with Athens, OH cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Athens, OH

🕒 Local time

11:56 11:56 AM

12:56 12:56 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

115,452

💱 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 Athens, OH 3,270 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Athens, OH

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 Athens, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens, OH is about 19% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 71% 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 $1,320 in Athens, OH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in San Jose. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,107 per month in San Jose versus $1,701 in Athens, OH – Athens, OH is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Athens, OH gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.