Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Bethlehem, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,582 in Bethlehem, PA, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bethlehem, PA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Bethlehem, PA
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Bethlehem, PA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Bethlehem, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,582

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Bethlehem, PA

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

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,582 in Bethlehem, PA, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Bethlehem, PA $2,582

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,693 in Bethlehem, PA, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Bethlehem, PA $3,693

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,804 in Bethlehem, PA, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Bethlehem, PA $4,804

San Jose is about 18% cheaper than Bethlehem, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Bethlehem, PA sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Bethlehem, PA by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$18.08 $18.08

-31.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$50.5 $50.5

23.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$13.03 $13.03

-10.13%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$4.99 $4.99

-9.02%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$3.06 $3.06

-10.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.99 $1.99

-6.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.39 $5.39

-37.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$7.81 $7.81

-44.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.14 $1.14

107.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$4.10 $4.10

-25.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$3.92 $3.92

-35.97%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.28 $4.28

-17.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$11.90 $11.90

-11.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$16.08 $16.08

-34.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$18.71 $18.71

-25.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$6.33 $6.33

-17.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.33 $1.33

24.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.08 $4.08

19.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$4.25 $4.25

-9.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.12 $2.12

84.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.75 $2.75

36.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.75 $2.75

-59.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.83 $1.83

75.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$9.23 $9.23

-34.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$17.68 $17.68

12.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.68 $1.68

67.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$6.85 $6.85

-46.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$4.96 $4.96

-54.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$2.94 $2.94

-39.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$34.48 $34.48

-77.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.03 $1.03

45.63%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$22.9K $22.9K

46.38%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$24.1K $24.1K

75.23%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$207 $207

-55.05%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$39.37 $39.37

-8.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$78.6 $78.6

-22.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$37.08 $37.08

85.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$14.93 $14.93

-48.63%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,000 $1,000

-2.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$65.3K $65.3K

-71.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$53.1 $53.1

32.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$29.72 $29.72

90.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$67.4 $67.4

90.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$84.0 $84.0

55.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,527 $1,527

-23.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,322 $1,322

-28.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,228 $2,228

-10.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,161 $2,161

-35.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,175 $2,175

23.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,119 $2,119

-3.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,664 $3,664

-73.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.5

32.62%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bethlehem, PA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Bethlehem, PA

$1.3K 51.2% 40.1% $379

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Bethlehem, PA

$437 16.9% 8.5% $34

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Bethlehem, PA

$306 11.9% 31.8% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Bethlehem, PA

$325 12.6% 71.3% $135

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Bethlehem, PA

$105 4.1% 39.4% $69

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Bethlehem, PA

$67 2.6% 20.6% $17

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Bethlehem, PA

$20 * 0.8% 75.7% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,527 in Bethlehem, PA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bethlehem, PA are about 3.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $50 in Bethlehem, PA. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $437 in Bethlehem, PA – so San Jose wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Bethlehem, PA

🕒 Local time

10:35 10:35 AM

11:35 11:35 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

75,624

💱 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 Bethlehem, PA 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Bethlehem, PA

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 Bethlehem, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,107 in San Jose, $2,582 in Bethlehem, PA – San Jose comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,873 in Bethlehem, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,527 in Bethlehem, PA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $50 in Bethlehem, PA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Bethlehem, PA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Bethlehem, PA at $2,582. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bethlehem, PA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,582 in Bethlehem, PA. 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, Bethlehem, PA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.