Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Chevy Chase, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $3,643 in Chevy Chase, MD, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 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
174

Cost of Living Index in Chevy Chase, MD
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Chevy Chase, MD Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Chevy Chase, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Chevy Chase, MD

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 Chevy Chase, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $3,643 in Chevy Chase, MD, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Chevy Chase, MD $3,643

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $4,508 in Chevy Chase, MD, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Chevy Chase, MD $4,508

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $5,374 in Chevy Chase, MD, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Chevy Chase, MD $5,374

San Jose is about 42% cheaper than Chevy Chase, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Chevy Chase, MD sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Chevy Chase, MD by 169%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$24.12 $24.12

-48.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$98.1 $98.1

-36.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$10.86 $10.86

7.83%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.80 $5.80

-21.72%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.97 $2.97

-7.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.43 $2.43

-23.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$7.98 $7.98

-58.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$8.84 $8.84

-51.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.22 $1.22

93.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$4.35 $4.35

-29.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$5.39 $5.39

-53.43%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$5.01 $5.01

-29.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$21.57 $21.57

-51.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$16.05 $16.05

-34.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$22.34 $22.34

-37.69%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$5.70 $5.70

-8.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.91 $1.91

-13.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.54 $4.54

7.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$5.75 $5.75

-33.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$3.33 $3.33

17.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$3.90 $3.90

-3.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.35 $2.35

-52.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.55 $2.55

26.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$9.88 $9.88

-39.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$16.98 $16.98

16.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.84 $2.84

-1.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.88 $2.88

26.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.24 $2.24

-51.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$59.0 $59.0

10.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$4.44 $4.44

-49.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.58 $1.58

12.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$33.86 $33.86

-76.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.04 $1.04

44.23%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$29.4K $29.4K

13.85%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$25.5K $25.5K

66.14%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$165 $165

-43.65%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$52.1 $52.1

-30.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$60.9 $60.9

-0.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$45.69 $45.69

50.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$16.77 $16.77

-54.26%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,869 $1,869

-47.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$19.7K $19.7K

-4.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$55.4 $55.4

27.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$62.0 $62.0

-8.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$103 $103

25.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$160 $160

-18.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$2,561 $2,561

-54.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$2,152 $2,152

-56.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$4,162 $4,162

-52.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,921 $1,921

-27.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,836 $2,836

-5.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,342 $2,342

-13.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.86

25.66%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chevy Chase, MD: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Chevy Chase, MD

$2.2K 59.1% 128% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Chevy Chase, MD

$508 13.9% 26.1% $105

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Chevy Chase, MD

$374 10.3% 61.1% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Chevy Chase, MD

$278 7.6% 46.6% $89

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Chevy Chase, MD

$171 4.7% 1.7% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Chevy Chase, MD

$79 2.2% 6% $5

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Chevy Chase, MD

$80 2.2% 0.5% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $2,561 in Chevy Chase, MD. 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 $98 in Chevy Chase, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $508 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Chevy Chase, MD

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

11:16 11:16 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

3,000

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Chevy Chase, MD 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Chevy Chase, MD

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 Chevy Chase, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chevy Chase, MD costs about 73% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $5,464 in Chevy Chase, MD. 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 $2,561 in Chevy Chase, MD.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $98 in Chevy Chase, MD. 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 $3,643 in Chevy Chase, MD. That makes San Jose about 42% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Chevy Chase, MD at $3,643. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chevy Chase, MD 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.