Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Cary, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,852 in Cary, NC, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
Learn more

Cary, NC Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Cary, 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 Cary, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,852 in Cary, NC.

San Jose $2,107
Cary, NC $2,852

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $4,204 in Cary, NC.

San Jose $3,081
Cary, NC $4,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $5,556 in Cary, NC.

San Jose $4,054
Cary, NC $5,556

Living in San Jose costs roughly 26% less than in Cary, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Cary, NC 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$19.44 $19.44

-36.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$98.5 $98.5

-36.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$10.46 $10.46

11.95%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.19 $5.19

-12.52%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.01 $2.01

36.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.89 $1.89

-1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$4.43 $4.43

-24.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$6.53 $6.53

-33.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.01 $1.01

133.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$5.42 $5.42

-43.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$6.02 $6.02

-58.31%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.14 $4.14

-14.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$18.04 $18.04

-41.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$17.10 $17.10

-38.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$17.58 $17.58

-20.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$5.97 $5.97

-12.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.92 $1.92

-14.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$3.76 $3.76

30.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$6.80 $6.80

-43.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$3.23 $3.23

21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$4.21 $4.21

-10.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.97 $2.97

-62.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.38 $2.38

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$10.04 $10.04

-40.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$9.77 $9.77

103.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.28 $2.28

23.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$4.08 $4.08

-10.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.52 $2.52

-57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$79.6 $79.6

-18.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.93 $0.93

61.29%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$29.1K $29.1K

45.37%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$179 $179

-47.91%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$47.71 $47.71

-24.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$67.9 $67.9

-10.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$77.4 $77.4

-10.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$22.17 $22.17

12.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$15.11 $15.11

-49.24%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,477 $1,477

-34.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$64.3 $64.3

9.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$32.19 $32.19

76.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$119 $119

8.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$134 $134

-2.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,916 $1,916

-38.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,417 $1,417

-33.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,699 $2,699

-26.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,217 $2,217

-36.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,827 $2,827

-5.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,628 $2,628

-22.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$5,874 $5,874

-83.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.42

34.27%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cary, NC: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.7% 50.3% $474

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Cary, NC

$485 17% 20.5% $83

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Cary, NC

$300 10.5% 29.1% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Cary, NC

$294 10.3% 55.1% $105

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Cary, NC

$157 5.5% 9.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Cary, NC

$108 3.8% 27.7% $23

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Cary, NC

$90 * 3.1% 11.1% $9

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,916 in Cary, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays about 6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $98 in Cary, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $485 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🕒 Local time

07:20 7:20 AM

08:20 8:20 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

176,987

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Cary, NC 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Cary, 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 Cary, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 83% lower in San Jose. 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: $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,916 in Cary, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $972 in San Jose versus $1,477 in Cary, NC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Cary, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,852 in Cary, NC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Cary, NC. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Cary, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.