Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Denver, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $3,060 in Denver, CO, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
147

Cost of Living Index in Denver, CO
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Denver, CO Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Denver, CO

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 Denver, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $3,060 in Denver, CO.

San Jose $2,107
Denver, CO $3,060

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $4,532 in Denver, CO.

San Jose $3,081
Denver, CO $4,532

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $6,004 in Denver, CO.

San Jose $4,054
Denver, CO $6,004

Living in San Jose costs roughly 31% less than in Denver, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Denver, CO 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$19.69 $19.69

-37.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$84.5 $84.5

-26.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$11.84 $11.84

-1.10%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.92 $5.92

-23.31%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.90 $2.90

-5.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.28 $2.28

-18.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$6.84 $6.84

-51.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$7.39 $7.39

-41.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.16 $1.16

103.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$5.32 $5.32

-42.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$7.53 $7.53

-66.67%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.69 $4.69

-24.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$16.92 $16.92

-37.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$17.09 $17.09

-38.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$18.71 $18.71

-25.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$5.05 $5.05

2.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$2.17 $2.17

-23.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.59 $4.59

6.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$5.32 $5.32

-27.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.38 $2.38

64.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.82 $2.82

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.27 $2.27

-50.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.56 $2.56

25.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$10.76 $10.76

-44.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$19.41 $19.41

2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.78 $2.78

1.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.91 $3.91

-6.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.76 $2.76

-60.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$87.9 $87.9

-25.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.53 $3.53

-35.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.73 $1.73

2.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$30.43 $30.43

-74.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.05 $1.05

42.86%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$30.7K $30.7K

8.99%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.1K $26.1K

61.98%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$164 $164

-43.03%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$77.7 $77.7

-53.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$69.1 $69.1

-12.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$59.2 $59.2

16.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$24.74 $24.74

0.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$15.10 $15.10

-49.21%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$2,281 $2,281

-57.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$35.6K $35.6K

-46.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$69.3 $69.3

1.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$45.23 $45.23

25.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$103 $103

24.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$134 $134

-2.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,846 $1,846

-36.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,555 $1,555

-39.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$3,368 $3,368

-41.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,602 $2,602

-46.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$5,502 $5,502

-51.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$3,497 $3,497

-41.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$5,429 $5,429

-81.83%

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 Denver, CO: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Denver, CO

$1.6K 50.8% 64.8% $611

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Denver, CO

$502 16.4% 24.8% $100

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Denver, CO

$334 10.9% 43.6% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Denver, CO

$310 10.1% 63.5% $121

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Denver, CO

$158 5.2% 9.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Denver, CO

$89 2.9% 6.1% $5.2

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Denver, CO

$111 3.6% 37.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,846 in Denver, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Denver, CO pays about 5.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $84 in Denver, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $502 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Denver, CO

🕒 Local time

05:30 5:30 AM

04:30 4:30 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

715,522

💱 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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Between locations

San Jose Denver, CO 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Denver, CO

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 Denver, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Denver, CO. 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 82% 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 $1,846 in Denver, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Denver, CO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62 versus $84 in Denver, CO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $3,060 in Denver, CO, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Denver, CO. 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 at $2,107 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 31% less than in Denver, CO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.