Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Athens, TN

For one person, living costs are similar in San Jose and in Athens, TN: $2,107 and $2,116 a month, rent and utilities included.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Athens, TN
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Athens, TN Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Athens, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,116

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,116 in Athens, TN, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Athens, TN $2,116

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,286 in Athens, TN, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Athens, TN $3,286

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,457 in Athens, TN, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Athens, TN $4,457

San Jose and Athens, TN have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both San Jose and Athens, TN sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Athens, TN by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$30.07 $30.07

-58.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$108 $108

-42.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$11.95 $11.95

-2.01%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.70 $5.70

-20.35%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.94 $2.94

-6.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.26 $2.26

-17.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$6.52 $6.52

-48.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$7.90 $7.90

-45.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.94 $0.94

151.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.57 $2.57

19.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$3.93 $3.93

-36.13%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.19 $4.19

-15.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$13.83 $13.83

-23.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$6.68 $6.68

58.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$19.75 $19.75

-29.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$5.82 $5.82

-10.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.49 $1.49

10.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$5.61 $5.61

-12.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$5.17 $5.17

-25.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$3.54 $3.54

10.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.66 $2.66

41.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.15 $2.15

-47.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.66 $1.66

93.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$6.83 $6.83

-11.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$15.29 $15.29

29.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$3.90 $3.90

-27.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$4.87 $4.87

-25.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.19 $2.19

-50.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$53.5 $53.5

21.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.41 $3.41

-33.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.53 $1.53

16.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$24.47 $24.47

-67.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.94 $0.94

59.57%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$36.1K $36.1K

-7.29%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.3K $26.3K

61.06%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$221 $221

-57.75%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$74.4 $74.4

-51.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$55.7 $55.7

8.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$37.88 $37.88

81.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$8.21 $8.21

-6.58%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,784 $1,784

-45.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$34.8K $34.8K

-45.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$52.6 $52.6

34.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$45.25 $45.25

25.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$95.9 $95.9

34.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$108 $108

21.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$861 $861

35.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$695 $695

35.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$1,465 $1,465

35.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,184 $1,184

18.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,813 $2,813

-4.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,313 $2,313

-11.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$8,189 $8,189

-87.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.67

29.24%

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, TN: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Athens, TN

$695 32.9% 26.3% $248

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Athens, TN

$392 18.6% 2.5% $10

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Athens, TN

$414 19.6% 78.2% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Athens, TN

$351 16.6% 84.6% $161

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Athens, TN

$136 6.4% 22.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Athens, TN

$54 2.6% 35.6% $30

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Athens, TN

$73 3.5% 9.1% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $861 in Athens, TN. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Athens, TN are about 8.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $108 in Athens, TN. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $392 in Athens, TN – so Athens, TN wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Athens, TN

🕒 Local time

13:53 1:53 PM

14:53 2:53 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 = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 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 = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

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Between locations

San Jose Athens, TN 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Athens, TN

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, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,174 in Athens, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Athens, TN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $861 there versus $1,170 in San Jose.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $108 in Athens, TN. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Athens, TN. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,107 in San Jose and $2,116 in Athens, TN, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,116 in Athens, TN. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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