Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Dubuque, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubuque, IA: $1,731 a month against $1,924 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in San Jose despite lower rent and utilities.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Dubuque, IA
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Dubuque, IA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Dubuque, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Dubuque, IA

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 Dubuque, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $1,731 in Dubuque, IA, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Dubuque, IA $1,731

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $2,538 in Dubuque, IA, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Dubuque, IA $2,538

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $3,345 in Dubuque, IA, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Dubuque, IA $3,345

San Jose costs about 11% more than Dubuque, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Dubuque, IA sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Dubuque, IA by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$13.85 $13.85

-11.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$49.71 $49.71

25.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$11.80 $11.80

-2.29%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$4.99 $4.99

-12.83%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.02 $2.02

30.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$0.95 $0.95

95.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$3.01 $3.01

10.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$4.53 $4.53

-0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$0.78 $0.78

206.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$2.71 $2.71

13.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.82 $2.82

-11.35%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$2.85 $2.85

22.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$14.05 $14.05

-23.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$10.38 $10.38

-0.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$10.63 $10.63

32.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$3.32 $3.32

51.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.21 $1.21

31.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$3.26 $3.26

48.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$2.45 $2.45

61.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$1.36 $1.36

176.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$1.67 $1.67

123.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.42 $2.42

-55.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$1.79 $1.79

81.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$8.70 $8.70

-32.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$13.36 $13.36

51.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.69 $1.69

71.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$2.82 $2.82

32.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$0.91 $0.91

73.63%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$24.5K $24.5K

36.98%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$25.0K $25.0K

66.48%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$176 $176

-46.87%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$52.0 $52.0

-31.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$50.7 $50.7

18.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$36.87 $36.87

96.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$8.17 $8.17

-5.26%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$812 $812

23.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$55.6 $55.6

31.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$35.65 $35.65

55.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$86.1 $86.1

48.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$88.7 $88.7

47.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$985 $985

-5.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$725 $725

4.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$1,476 $1,476

30.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$1,201 $1,201

6.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$1,732 $1,732

32.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$1,707 $1,707

7.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$3,768 $3,768

-72.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.25

64.19%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Dubuque, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Dubuque, IA

$725 41.9% 4.6% $35

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Dubuque, IA

$312 18% 22.6% $91

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Dubuque, IA

$242 14% 5.8% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Dubuque, IA

$279 16.1% 47.6% $90

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Dubuque, IA

$120 6.9% 31.3% $55

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Dubuque, IA

$53 3.1% 39.6% $35

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Dubuque, IA

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $985 in Dubuque, IA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 266% higher in Dubuque, IA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in San Jose versus $50.0 in Dubuque, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $312 – making Dubuque, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Dubuque, IA

🕒 Local time

22:42 10:42 PM

23:42 11:42 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

59,667

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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 Dubuque, IA 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Dubuque, IA

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 Dubuque, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose costs about 11% more than Dubuque, IA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $2,596 in Dubuque, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dubuque, IA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,924 in San Jose and $1,731 in Dubuque, IA. That's a gap of about 11%.

Kindergarten costs $1,005 per month in San Jose and $812 in Dubuque, IA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dubuque, IA, where all-in costs run around $1,731, than in San Jose at $1,924. In Dubuque, IA it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dubuque, IA costs $1,731 versus $1,924 in San Jose. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dubuque, IA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.