Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Cape Carteret, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,572 in Cape Carteret, NC, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Cape Carteret, NC
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Cape Carteret, NC Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Cape Carteret, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,572

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Cape Carteret, NC

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 Cape Carteret, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,572 in Cape Carteret, NC, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Cape Carteret, NC $2,572

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,754 in Cape Carteret, NC, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Cape Carteret, NC $3,754

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,935 in Cape Carteret, NC, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Cape Carteret, NC $4,935

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

Both San Jose and Cape Carteret, NC sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Cape Carteret, NC by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$17.99 $17.99

-31.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$88.5 $88.5

-29.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$12.16 $12.16

-3.70%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.96 $5.96

-23.83%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.80 $2.80

-1.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.14 $2.14

-13.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.91 $5.91

-43.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$6.96 $6.96

-37.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.99 $0.99

138.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.15 $3.15

-2.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$5.53 $5.53

-54.61%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.74 $4.74

-25.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$10.44 $10.44

0.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$9.59 $9.59

10.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$18.56 $18.56

-25.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$2.55 $2.55

103.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.61 $1.61

2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$5.19 $5.19

-5.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$5.96 $5.96

-35.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.26 $2.26

73.01%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$4.37 $4.37

-13.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.67 $2.67

-58.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.32 $2.32

38.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$9.72 $9.72

-38.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$11.94 $11.94

66.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.77 $1.77

58.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.21 $2.21

65.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.82 $1.82

-40.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$52.9 $52.9

23.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$6.01 $6.01

-62.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.52 $1.52

17.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$19.74 $19.74

-59.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.00 $1.00

50.00%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$27.7K $27.7K

20.67%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.3K $26.3K

60.71%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$209 $209

-55.40%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$61.1 $61.1

-40.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$66.5 $66.5

-8.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$38.76 $38.76

77.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$9.53 $9.53

-19.52%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,609 $1,609

-39.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$23.6K $23.6K

-20.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$61.5 $61.5

14.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$48.25 $48.25

17.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$117 $117

10.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$111 $111

17.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,630 $1,630

-28.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,256 $1,256

-24.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,450 $2,450

-19.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,978 $1,978

-29.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$3,146 $3,146

-14.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,277 $2,277

-10.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.57

31.20%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cape Carteret, NC: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Cape Carteret, NC

$1.3K 48.8% 33.1% $313

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Cape Carteret, NC

$382 14.8% 5.2% $21

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Cape Carteret, NC

$315 12.3% 35.6% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Cape Carteret, NC

$337 13.1% 77.2% $147

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Cape Carteret, NC

$152 5.9% 12.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Cape Carteret, NC

$58 2.3% 31.4% $26

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Cape Carteret, NC

$74 2.9% 8.6% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,630 in Cape Carteret, NC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $89 in Cape Carteret, NC. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $382 in Cape Carteret, NC – so Cape Carteret, NC wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Cape Carteret, NC

🕒 Local time

17:37 5:37 PM

18:37 6:37 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

2,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 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 = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Cape Carteret, NC 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Cape Carteret, NC

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 Cape Carteret, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cape Carteret, NC is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,859 in Cape Carteret, NC. 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 $1,630 in Cape Carteret, NC.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $89 in Cape Carteret, NC. 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 $2,572 in Cape Carteret, NC. That makes San Jose about 18% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Cape Carteret, NC at $2,572. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Carteret, NC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.