Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and El Paso, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in San Jose and in El Paso, TX: $2,107 and $2,125 a month, rent and utilities included.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in El Paso, TX
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El Paso, TX Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

El Paso, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,125

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in El Paso, TX

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 El Paso, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,125 in El Paso, TX, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
El Paso, TX $2,125

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,167 in El Paso, TX, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
El Paso, TX $3,167

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,209 in El Paso, TX, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
El Paso, TX $4,209

San Jose and El Paso, TX have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both San Jose and El Paso, TX sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, El Paso, TX by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$18.86 $18.86

-34.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$77.0 $77.0

-18.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$11.91 $11.91

-1.68%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$6.06 $6.06

-25.08%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.37 $2.37

16.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.61 $1.61

15.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$6.16 $6.16

-45.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$6.93 $6.93

-37.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.82 $0.82

187.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.88 $2.88

6.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$2.49 $2.49

0.80%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.48 $3.48

1.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$11.79 $11.79

-10.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$11.70 $11.70

-9.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$12.69 $12.69

9.69%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$3.61 $3.61

44.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.48 $1.48

11.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$2.49 $2.49

96.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$3.59 $3.59

6.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.15 $2.15

81.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.75 $2.75

36.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.84 $1.84

-39.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.56 $1.56

106.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$10.23 $10.23

-41.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$9.46 $9.46

109.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.09 $2.09

34.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$4.92 $4.92

-25.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.46 $1.46

-26.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$48.84 $48.84

33.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$1.70 $1.70

32.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.37 $1.37

29.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$27.31 $27.31

-71.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.96 $0.96

56.25%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$27.4K $27.4K

22.04%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.1K $26.1K

62.01%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$163 $163

-42.98%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$72.6 $72.6

-50.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$69.0 $69.0

-12.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$18.03 $18.03

282.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$8.43 $8.43

195.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$11.99 $11.99

-36.03%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$699 $699

39.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$11.6K $11.6K

63.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$45.52 $45.52

55.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$35.91 $35.91

57.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$102 $102

26.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$177 $177

-26.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,072 $1,072

9.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$908 $908

3.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$1,575 $1,575

25.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,471 $1,471

-4.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$1,930 $1,930

38.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$1,702 $1,702

19.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,348 $3,348

-70.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.51

32.41%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for El Paso, TX: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

El Paso, TX

$908 42.7% 3.8% $36

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

El Paso, TX

$325 15.3% 19.3% $78

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

El Paso, TX

$320 15.1% 37.7% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

El Paso, TX

$305 14.4% 60.6% $115

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

El Paso, TX

$162 7.6% 6.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

El Paso, TX

$42 2% 50.2% $42

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

El Paso, TX

$63 3% 21.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,072 in El Paso, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in El Paso, TX are about 3.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $77 in El Paso, TX. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $325 in El Paso, TX – so El Paso, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 El Paso, TX

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

03:39 3:39 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

678,815

💱 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 El Paso, TX 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
El Paso, TX

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 El Paso, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,187 in El Paso, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,170 in San Jose and $1,072 in El Paso, TX. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $77 in El Paso, TX. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 25% less in El Paso, TX. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,107 in San Jose and $2,125 in El Paso, TX, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,125 in El Paso, TX. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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