Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Elizabeth City, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,532 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Elizabeth City, NC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth City, NC
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Elizabeth City, NC Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Elizabeth City, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,532 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Elizabeth City, NC $2,532

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,598 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Elizabeth City, NC $3,598

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,665 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Elizabeth City, NC $4,665

San Jose is about 17% cheaper than Elizabeth City, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Elizabeth City, NC sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Elizabeth City, NC by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$11.96 $11.96

3.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$35.25 $35.25

76.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$11.42 $11.42

2.54%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.74 $5.74

-20.91%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.48 $2.48

10.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.04 $2.04

-8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.96 $5.96

-43.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$6.82 $6.82

-36.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.93 $0.93

153.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.66 $3.66

-16.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$3.13 $3.13

-19.81%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.58 $4.58

-22.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$11.07 $11.07

-4.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$9.80 $9.80

7.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$17.59 $17.59

-20.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$4.33 $4.33

20.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.25 $1.25

32.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.32 $4.32

13.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$4.30 $4.30

-10.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.14 $2.14

82.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.18 $2.18

72.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.04 $2.04

-45.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.21 $2.21

45.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$8.96 $8.96

-32.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$15.03 $15.03

32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.13 $2.13

31.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.80 $2.80

30.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.85 $1.85

-41.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$63.0 $63.0

3.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.08 $3.08

-26.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.90 $1.90

-6.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$17.83 $17.83

-55.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.92 $0.92

63.04%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$31.1K $31.1K

7.48%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.1K $26.1K

62.17%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$187 $187

-50.16%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$58.2 $58.2

-37.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$60.3 $60.3

0.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$41.86 $41.86

64.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$15.01 $15.01

-48.90%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,304 $1,304

-25.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$24.8K $24.8K

-24.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$54.4 $54.4

29.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$40.69 $40.69

39.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$88.8 $88.8

44.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$141 $141

-7.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,602 $1,602

-26.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,293 $1,293

-27.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,586 $2,586

-23.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,125 $2,125

-34.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,461 $2,461

8.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,209 $2,209

-7.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.77

27.33%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Elizabeth City, NC: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Elizabeth City, NC

$1.3K 51.1% 37.1% $350

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Elizabeth City, NC

$371 14.7% 7.8% $31

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Elizabeth City, NC

$260 10.3% 12% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Elizabeth City, NC

$305 12.1% 60.8% $116

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Elizabeth City, NC

$146 5.8% 16% $28

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Elizabeth City, NC

$72 2.8% 14.7% $12

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Elizabeth City, NC

$83 3.3% 2.8% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,602 in Elizabeth City, NC. 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 $35 in Elizabeth City, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $371 – making Elizabeth City, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Elizabeth City, NC

🕒 Local time

17:26 5:26 PM

18:26 6:26 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

18,683

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 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 = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Elizabeth City, NC 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,107 in San Jose, $2,532 in Elizabeth City, NC – San Jose comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,797 in Elizabeth City, NC. 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 $1,602 in Elizabeth City, NC.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $35 in Elizabeth City, NC. 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 $2,532 in Elizabeth City, NC. That makes San Jose about 17% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Elizabeth City, NC at $2,532. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Elizabeth City, NC 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.