Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Birmingham, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,751 in Birmingham, AL, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in Birmingham, AL
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Birmingham, AL Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Birmingham, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,751

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Birmingham, AL

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

A single person spends $1,949 per month in San Jose vs $2,751 in Birmingham, AL, rent included.

San Jose $1,949
Birmingham, AL $2,751

A couple spends around $2,903 per month in San Jose vs $4,028 in Birmingham, AL, rent included.

San Jose $2,903
Birmingham, AL $4,028

A family of three spends $3,857 per month in San Jose vs $5,305 in Birmingham, AL, rent included.

San Jose $3,857
Birmingham, AL $5,305

San Jose is about 29% cheaper than Birmingham, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Birmingham, AL sit above the global median – San Jose by 45%, Birmingham, AL by 105%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$17.83 $17.83

-31.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$70.6 $70.6

-14.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$9.22 $9.22

27.66%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$5.66 $5.66

-24.03%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$2.68 $2.68

1.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$2.38 $2.38

-22.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$5.10 $5.10

-35.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$5.96 $5.96

-26.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$1.06 $1.06

124.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$3.07 $3.07

1.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$4.75 $4.75

-49.26%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$4.06 $4.06

-14.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$9.69 $9.69

9.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$10.97 $10.97

-3.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$16.18 $16.18

-15.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$6.44 $6.44

-21.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$1.32 $1.32

21.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$7.79 $7.79

-41.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$5.52 $5.52

-30.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$4.31 $4.31

-12.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$5.23 $5.23

-28.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$2.75 $2.75

-59.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$2.84 $2.84

12.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$10.06 $10.06

-41.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$14.77 $14.77

33.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$2.32 $2.32

18.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$3.63 $3.63

0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.52 $1.52

-26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

$81.3 $81.3

-19.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$3.05 $3.05

-19.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$1.55 $1.55

-0.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$30.49 $30.49

-72.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$0.90 $0.90

72.22%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$34.1K $34.1K

-36.32%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$24.7K $24.7K

41.05%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$290 $290

-67.31%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$76.5 $76.5

-54.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$69.5 $69.5

-15.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$40.58 $40.58

77.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

$20.09 $20.09

25.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$15.71 $15.71

-50.16%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$1,340 $1,340

-27.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$18.0K $18.0K

-5.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$58.1 $58.1

23.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$38.40 $38.40

42.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$109 $109

18.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$137 $137

-2.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$1,701 $1,701

-45.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$1,235 $1,235

-37.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$2,914 $2,914

-33.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$2,090 $2,090

-37.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$2,948 $2,948

-22.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$1,878 $1,878

-4.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$3,137 $3,137

-67.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.69

28.85%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Birmingham, AL: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Birmingham, AL

$1.2K 45.5% 60.4% $465

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Birmingham, AL

$425 15.6% 6.5% $26

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Birmingham, AL

$296 10.9% 29.8% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Birmingham, AL

$436 16% 131% $247

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Birmingham, AL

$154 5.7% 11.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Birmingham, AL

$72 2.7% 18% $16

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Birmingham, AL

$98 3.6% 23.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $934 in San Jose versus $1,701 in Birmingham, AL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 212% higher in Birmingham, AL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in San Jose versus $71.0 in Birmingham, AL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $425 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Birmingham, AL

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

06:47 6:47 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

200,733

💱 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 = 0.892 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Birmingham, AL 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Birmingham, AL

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 Birmingham, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,949 in San Jose, $2,751 in Birmingham, AL – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,924 per month in San Jose and $4,126 in Birmingham, AL. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,949 in San Jose and $2,751 in Birmingham, AL. That's a gap of about 41%.

Public transport costs about 25% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Birmingham, AL at $2,751. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Birmingham, AL 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 $1,949 in San Jose to $2,751 in Birmingham, AL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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