Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Brooklyn, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, rent and utilities included – about $25,500 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
204

Cost of Living Index in Brooklyn, NY
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Brooklyn, NY Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Brooklyn, NY

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 Brooklyn, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Brooklyn, NY $4,230

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $6,364 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Brooklyn, NY $6,364

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $8,497 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Brooklyn, NY $8,497

San Jose is about 50% cheaper than Brooklyn, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Brooklyn, NY sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Brooklyn, NY by 213%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$20.37 $20.37

-39.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$107 $107

-41.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$11.86 $11.86

-1.26%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.49 $5.49

-17.30%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.64 $2.64

4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.27 $2.27

-18.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$7.82 $7.82

-57.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$8.90 $8.90

-51.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.67 $1.67

41.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$4.58 $4.58

-32.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$7.02 $7.02

-64.25%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$6.59 $6.59

-46.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$16.57 $16.57

-36.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$17.01 $17.01

-37.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$19.96 $19.96

-30.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$7.93 $7.93

-34.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$3.68 $3.68

-55.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$5.23 $5.23

-6.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$6.04 $6.04

-36.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$4.02 $4.02

-2.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$4.79 $4.79

-21.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.64 $2.64

-57.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.43 $2.43

32.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$15.04 $15.04

-59.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$21.33 $21.33

-6.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.74 $2.74

2.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.26 $3.26

11.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.94 $2.94

-63.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$183 $183

-64.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$2.96 $2.96

-23.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$2.14 $2.14

-16.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$42.63 $42.63

-81.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.14 $1.14

31.58%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$31.2K $31.2K

7.17%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$25.9K $25.9K

63.29%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$219 $219

-57.48%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$60.5 $60.5

-40.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$61.3 $61.3

-1.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$123 $123

-43.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$35.28 $35.28

-29.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$20.06 $20.06

-61.76%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$3,022 $3,022

-67.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$52.2K $52.2K

-63.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$70.0 $70.0

0.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$76.8 $76.8

-26.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$122 $122

5.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$118 $118

10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$3,827 $3,827

-69.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$2,454 $2,454

-61.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$7,537 $7,537

-73.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$4,441 $4,441

-68.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$12.4K $12.4K

-78.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$7,713 $7,713

-73.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,614 $3,614

-72.70%

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 Brooklyn, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Brooklyn, NY

$2.5K 58% 160% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Brooklyn, NY

$549 13% 36.3% $146

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1% 46.7% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1% 79.5% $151

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Brooklyn, NY

$174 4.1% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Brooklyn, NY

$163 3.9% 93.2% $79

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Brooklyn, NY

$208 4.9% 158% $128

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Brooklyn, NY 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 $107 in Brooklyn, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $549 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

10:21 10:21 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

2,736,074

💱 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 →

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Between locations

San Jose Brooklyn, NY 3,560 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Brooklyn, NY

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 Brooklyn, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,107 in San Jose, $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY – San Jose comes out roughly 50% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $6,346 in Brooklyn, NY. 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 $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $107 in Brooklyn, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY. That makes San Jose about 50% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Brooklyn, NY at $4,230. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brooklyn, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Brooklyn, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY. 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, Brooklyn, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.