Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Elizabethtown, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Elizabethtown, KY: $2,040 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. The total is higher in San Jose despite lower rent and utilities.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Elizabethtown, KY
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Elizabethtown, KY Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Elizabethtown, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,040

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Elizabethtown, KY

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 Elizabethtown, KY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,040 in Elizabethtown, KY.

San Jose $2,107
Elizabethtown, KY $2,040

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $2,929 in Elizabethtown, KY.

San Jose $3,081
Elizabethtown, KY $2,929

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $3,819 in Elizabethtown, KY.

San Jose $4,054
Elizabethtown, KY $3,819

Living in San Jose is roughly 3% more expensive than in Elizabethtown, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Elizabethtown, KY 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$15.02 $15.02

-17.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$50.4 $50.4

23.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$9.24 $9.24

26.73%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$4.81 $4.81

-5.61%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.25 $2.25

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.67 $1.67

11.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.10 $5.10

-34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$7.69 $7.69

-43.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.82 $0.82

187.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.23 $2.23

37.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$2.02 $2.02

24.26%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$2.73 $2.73

29.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$12.69 $12.69

-16.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$10.98 $10.98

-3.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$16.36 $16.36

-14.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$5.56 $5.56

-6.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.59 $1.59

3.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.31 $4.31

13.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$4.84 $4.84

-20.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.53 $2.53

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$3.30 $3.30

13.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.02 $2.02

-44.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.86 $1.86

73.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$5.99 $5.99

0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$15.03 $15.03

32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.10 $2.10

33.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.10 $3.10

17.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.82 $3.82

-40.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.26 $1.26

41.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$25.34 $25.34

-68.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.81 $0.81

85.19%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$36.7K $36.7K

-8.81%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$25.1K $25.1K

68.22%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$153 $153

-38.93%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$79.6 $79.6

-54.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$71.2 $71.2

-14.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$11.16 $11.16

-31.27%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,333 $1,333

-27.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$25.0K $25.0K

-24.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$45.09 $45.09

56.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$40.55 $40.55

39.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$85.9 $85.9

49.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$85.9 $85.9

52.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,169 $1,169

0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$964 $964

-2.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$1,944 $1,944

2.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,502 $1,502

-6.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$1,730 $1,730

54.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$1,785 $1,785

14.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,299 $3,299

-70.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.84

26.02%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Elizabethtown, KY: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Elizabethtown, KY

$964 47.3% 2.2% $21

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Elizabethtown, KY

$362 17.7% 10.2% $41

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Elizabethtown, KY

$262 12.9% 12.8% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Elizabethtown, KY

$303 14.9% 59.8% $113

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Elizabethtown, KY

$116 5.7% 33.5% $58

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Elizabethtown, KY

$22 * 1.1% 73.5% $62

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Elizabethtown, KY

$10 * 0.5% 87.5% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,169 in Elizabethtown, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elizabethtown, KY pays about 3.3 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $50 in Elizabethtown, KY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $362 per month, with Elizabethtown, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Elizabethtown, KY

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

18:29 6:29 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

23,406

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Elizabethtown, KY 3,090 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Elizabethtown, KY

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 Elizabethtown, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $2,040 in Elizabethtown, KY, so Elizabethtown, KY is about 3% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 70% 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 $1,169 in Elizabethtown, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $972 in San Jose versus $1,333 in Elizabethtown, KY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Elizabethtown, KY – a meal for two runs $50 versus $62 in San Jose. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Elizabethtown, KY gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.