Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Atlantic City, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,815 in Atlantic City, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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 Atlantic City, NJ
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Atlantic City, NJ Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Atlantic City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Atlantic City, NJ

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 Atlantic City, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,815 in Atlantic City, NJ.

San Jose $2,107
Atlantic City, NJ $2,815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $4,199 in Atlantic City, NJ.

San Jose $3,081
Atlantic City, NJ $4,199

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $5,583 in Atlantic City, NJ.

San Jose $4,054
Atlantic City, NJ $5,583

Living in San Jose costs roughly 25% less than in Atlantic City, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Atlantic City, NJ 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$19.66 $19.66

-37.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$99.2 $99.2

-37.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$11.30 $11.30

3.63%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.70 $5.70

-20.35%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.26 $2.26

21.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.92 $1.92

-3.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.83 $5.83

-42.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$8.94 $8.94

-51.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.20 $1.20

96.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.41 $3.41

-9.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$7.17 $7.17

-64.99%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.34 $4.34

-18.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$11.03 $11.03

-4.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$16.78 $16.78

-37.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$20.36 $20.36

-31.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$7.74 $7.74

-32.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$3.81 $3.81

-56.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$5.44 $5.44

-10.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$6.11 $6.11

-37.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$3.92 $3.92

-0.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$4.69 $4.69

-19.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.62 $2.62

-57.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.43 $2.43

32.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$14.24 $14.24

-57.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$13.36 $13.36

48.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.75 $2.75

2.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.25 $3.25

12.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.95 $2.95

-63.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$90.0 $90.0

-27.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$2.94 $2.94

-23.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$2.22 $2.22

-19.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$41.74 $41.74

-81.07%

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

$20.3K $20.3K

65.03%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$24.7K $24.7K

71.49%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$223 $223

-58.13%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$61.6 $61.6

-41.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$61.2 $61.2

-0.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$29.58 $29.58

133.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$50.8 $50.8

-50.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$16.85 $16.85

-54.48%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$494 $494

96.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$7,073 $7,073

166.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$69.9 $69.9

0.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$31.16 $31.16

81.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$117 $117

9.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$120 $120

9.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,762 $1,762

-33.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,323 $1,323

-28.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,377 $2,377

-16.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,132 $2,132

-34.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$4,349 $4,349

-38.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$4,265 $4,265

-52.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$4,006 $4,006

-75.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.78

27.14%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Atlantic City, NJ: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Atlantic City, NJ

$1.3K 47% 40.3% $380

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Atlantic City, NJ

$492 17.5% 22.2% $89

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Atlantic City, NJ

$323 11.5% 39.1% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Atlantic City, NJ

$345 12.3% 81.9% $155

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Atlantic City, NJ

$152 5.4% 12.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Atlantic City, NJ

$63 2.3% 24.9% $21

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Atlantic City, NJ

$116 4.1% 43.5% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,762 in Atlantic City, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Atlantic City, NJ pays about 4.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $99 in Atlantic City, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $492 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Atlantic City, NJ

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 PM

18:03 6:03 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

39,958

💱 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 →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Atlantic City, NJ 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Atlantic City, NJ

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 Atlantic City, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $2,815 in Atlantic City, NJ, so San Jose is about 25% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 75% 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 $1,762 in Atlantic City, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Atlantic City, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62 versus $99 in Atlantic City, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,815 in Atlantic City, NJ, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Atlantic City, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Atlantic City, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.