Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Bowling Green, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,079 in Bowling Green, KY, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bowling Green, KY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Bowling Green, KY
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Bowling Green, KY Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Bowling Green, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,079

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Bowling Green, KY

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 Bowling Green, KY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,079 in Bowling Green, KY.

San Jose $1,938
Bowling Green, KY $2,079

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,936 in San Jose versus $2,983 in Bowling Green, KY.

San Jose $2,936
Bowling Green, KY $2,983

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,934 in San Jose versus $3,887 in Bowling Green, KY.

San Jose $3,934
Bowling Green, KY $3,887

Living in San Jose costs roughly 7% less than in Bowling Green, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 44% above, Bowling Green, KY 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$12.79 $12.79

-3.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$55.1 $55.1

10.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$9.23 $9.23

24.05%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$4.88 $4.88

-10.04%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$2.49 $2.49

8.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$2.07 $2.07

-6.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$4.02 $4.02

-20.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$4.90 $4.90

-10.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$0.79 $0.79

208.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$2.30 $2.30

32.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$2.28 $2.28

5.70%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$2.72 $2.72

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$10.17 $10.17

5.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$10.16 $10.16

2.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$12.64 $12.64

10.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$4.75 $4.75

10.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.15 $1.15

38.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$2.63 $2.63

78.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$3.52 $3.52

12.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$1.73 $1.73

126.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$2.46 $2.46

49.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.79 $1.79

-37.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.29 $1.29

147.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$8.65 $8.65

-30.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$13.12 $13.12

49.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.69 $1.69

66.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$1.46 $1.46

145.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$3.57 $3.57

-68.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$39.65 $39.65

68.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$7.52 $7.52

-66.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.56 $1.56

4.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$25.40 $25.40

-66.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.92 $0.92

69.57%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$35.8K $35.8K

-37.41%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$25.8K $25.8K

38.06%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$148 $148

-35.60%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$45.79 $45.79

-22.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$69.4 $69.4

-15.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$29.75 $29.75

144.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$11.94 $11.94

108.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$15.14 $15.14

-49.93%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$2,276 $2,276

-56.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$24.6K $24.6K

-30.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$50.2 $50.2

40.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$31.83 $31.83

75.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$99.1 $99.1

30.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$152 $152

-14.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$1,151 $1,151

-19.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$1,001 $1,001

-22.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$1,667 $1,667

17.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$1,532 $1,532

-15.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$2,009 $2,009

13.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$2,012 $2,012

-9.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$2,941 $2,941

-65.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.66

29.43%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bowling Green, KY: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Bowling Green, KY

$1K 48.1% 29.2% $226

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Bowling Green, KY

$299 14.4% 25.4% $102

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Bowling Green, KY

$237 11.4% 3.2% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Bowling Green, KY

$263 12.7% 38.9% $74

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Bowling Green, KY

$150 7.2% 13.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Bowling Green, KY

$60 2.9% 31.6% $28

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Bowling Green, KY

$69 3.3% 15.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in San Jose and $1,151 in Bowling Green, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bowling Green, KY pays 189% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in San Jose vs $55.0 in Bowling Green, KY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $299 per month, with Bowling Green, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Bowling Green, KY

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

18:23 6:23 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

53,176

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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San Jose Bowling Green, KY 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Bowling Green, KY

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 Bowling Green, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Bowling Green, KY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 189% lower in Bowling Green, KY. 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: $927 in San Jose versus $1,151 in Bowling Green, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bowling Green, KY pay roughly 34% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $55.0 in Bowling Green, KY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,079 in Bowling Green, KY, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Bowling Green, KY. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,938 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Bowling Green, KY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.