Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Beach Haven, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $3,133 in Beach Haven, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 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
143

Cost of Living Index in Beach Haven, NJ
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Beach Haven, NJ Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Beach Haven, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $3,133 in Beach Haven, NJ.

San Jose $2,107
Beach Haven, NJ $3,133

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $4,536 in Beach Haven, NJ.

San Jose $3,081
Beach Haven, NJ $4,536

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $5,939 in Beach Haven, NJ.

San Jose $4,054
Beach Haven, NJ $5,939

Living in San Jose costs roughly 33% less than in Beach Haven, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Beach Haven, NJ 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$26.56 $26.56

-53.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$118 $118

-47.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$14.33 $14.33

-18.28%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$6.57 $6.57

-30.90%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$3.91 $3.91

-29.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$3.07 $3.07

-39.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$8.11 $8.11

-58.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$10.17 $10.17

-57.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.32 $1.32

78.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$4.81 $4.81

-36.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$7.49 $7.49

-66.49%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$6.18 $6.18

-42.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$19.91 $19.91

-47.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$18.17 $18.17

-41.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$20.06 $20.06

-30.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$7.11 $7.11

-26.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$2.23 $2.23

-26.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$6.49 $6.49

-24.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$7.13 $7.13

-46.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$4.42 $4.42

-11.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$4.80 $4.80

-21.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.87 $2.87

-60.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.62 $2.62

22.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$19.36 $19.36

-68.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$19.60 $19.60

1.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$3.35 $3.35

-16.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.98 $3.98

-8.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.83 $1.83

-40.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$56.6 $56.6

15.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.08 $3.08

-26.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$2.15 $2.15

-17.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$41.44 $41.44

-80.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.16 $1.16

29.31%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$34.6K $34.6K

-3.33%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.2K $26.2K

61.31%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$235 $235

-60.42%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$72.3 $72.3

-50.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$69.4 $69.4

-12.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$37.95 $37.95

81.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$22.68 $22.68

-66.18%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,374 $1,374

-29.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$20.4K $20.4K

-7.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$79.1 $79.1

-10.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$51.0 $51.0

11.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$123 $123

4.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$140 $140

-6.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,368 $1,368

-14.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,427 $1,427

-33.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,700 $2,700

-26.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,027 $2,027

-30.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,743 $2,743

-2.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,673 $2,673

-23.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.89

25.11%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Beach Haven, NJ: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Beach Haven, NJ

$1.4K 45.6% 51.3% $484

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Beach Haven, NJ

$567 18.1% 40.8% $164

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Beach Haven, NJ

$423 13.5% 82.1% $191

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Beach Haven, NJ

$377 12% 98.6% $187

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Beach Haven, NJ

$177 5.7% 1.8% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Beach Haven, NJ

$83 2.7% 1.1% $1

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Beach Haven, NJ

$78 2.5% 3.7% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,368 in Beach Haven, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $118 in Beach Haven, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $567 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Beach Haven, NJ

🕒 Local time

13:10 1:10 PM

14:10 2:10 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

1,200

💱 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 Beach Haven, NJ 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Beach Haven, 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 Beach Haven, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 33% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,161 in San Jose and $4,699 in Beach Haven, NJ to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,368 in Beach Haven, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,107 per month in San Jose versus $3,133 in Beach Haven, NJ – San Jose is about 33% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Beach Haven, NJ runs roughly 13% less than in San Jose. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $3,133 in Beach Haven, NJ, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Beach Haven, NJ. 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.