Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Frankfort, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Frankfort, KY: $1,908 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
92

Cost of Living Index in Frankfort, KY
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Frankfort, KY Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Frankfort, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,908

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $1,908 in Frankfort, KY, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Frankfort, KY $1,908

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $2,652 in Frankfort, KY, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Frankfort, KY $2,652

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $3,396 in Frankfort, KY, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Frankfort, KY $3,396

San Jose costs about 10% more than Frankfort, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Frankfort, KY sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Frankfort, KY by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$13.94 $13.94

-11.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$50.2 $50.2

24.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$8.12 $8.12

44.21%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$4.20 $4.20

8.10%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$1.26 $1.26

118.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.26 $1.26

47.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$9.84 $9.84

-65.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$11.98 $11.98

-63.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.78 $0.78

202.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.72 $2.72

12.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$2.45 $2.45

2.45%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$2.90 $2.90

21.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$8.38 $8.38

25.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$6.84 $6.84

54.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$13.40 $13.40

3.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$1.84 $1.84

182.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$0.96 $0.96

71.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$2.60 $2.60

88.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$2.69 $2.69

42.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$1.62 $1.62

141.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$1.79 $1.79

110.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.46 $1.46

-23.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.96 $1.96

64.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$8.51 $8.51

-29.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$13.20 $13.20

50.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.71 $1.71

64.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.40 $3.40

7.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.96 $1.96

-44.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$54.2 $54.2

20.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$5.03 $5.03

-55.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.89 $1.89

-5.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$29.51 $29.51

-73.23%

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

$22.1K $22.1K

51.58%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$25.1K $25.1K

68.74%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$202 $202

-53.77%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$49.76 $49.76

-27.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$57.6 $57.6

5.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$35.56 $35.56

93.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$11.80 $11.80

-35.00%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$527 $527

84.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$11.1K $11.1K

69.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$13.15 $13.15

437.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$15.26 $15.26

271.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$71.1 $71.1

80.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$44.44 $44.44

194.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$815 $815

43.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$854 $854

10.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$1,447 $1,447

37.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,216 $1,216

15.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,859 $2,859

-6.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,314 $2,314

-11.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$2,710 $2,710

-63.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.74

27.89%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Frankfort, KY: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Frankfort, KY

$854 44.8% 9.4% $89

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Frankfort, KY

$274 14.4% 31.9% $128

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Frankfort, KY

$270 14.1% 16% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Frankfort, KY

$309 16.2% 62.7% $119

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Frankfort, KY

$65 3.4% 62.8% $109

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Frankfort, KY

$59 3.1% 29.8% $25

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Frankfort, KY

$76 4% 5.2% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $815 in Frankfort, KY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Frankfort, KY are about 2.7 times higher, 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 in San Jose versus $50 in Frankfort, KY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $274 – making Frankfort, KY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Frankfort, KY

🕒 Local time

13:13 1:13 PM

14:13 2:13 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

25,527

💱 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 Frankfort, KY 3,140 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Frankfort, 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 Frankfort, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $2,862 in Frankfort, KY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Frankfort, KY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $815 there versus $1,170 in San Jose.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Frankfort, KY. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $972 per month in San Jose and $527 in Frankfort, KY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,107 in San Jose and $1,908 in Frankfort, KY, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Frankfort, KY – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Frankfort, KY is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 9% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.