Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Grand Forks, ND

For one person, living costs are similar in San Jose and in Grand Forks, ND: $1,938 and $2,034 a month, rent and utilities included.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Grand Forks, ND
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Grand Forks, ND Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Grand Forks, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,034

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Grand Forks, ND

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 Grand Forks, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,034 in Grand Forks, ND.

San Jose $1,938
Grand Forks, ND $2,034

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,936 in San Jose versus $2,958 in Grand Forks, ND.

San Jose $2,936
Grand Forks, ND $2,958

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,934 in San Jose versus $3,883 in Grand Forks, ND.

San Jose $3,934
Grand Forks, ND $3,883

Living in San Jose costs roughly 5% less than in Grand Forks, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 44% above, Grand Forks, ND 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$21.48 $21.48

-42.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$81.2 $81.2

-25.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$12.84 $12.84

-10.83%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$6.06 $6.06

-27.56%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$2.69 $2.69

0.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$2.97 $2.97

-35.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$5.15 $5.15

-37.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$5.95 $5.95

-25.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.10 $1.10

121.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$3.59 $3.59

-15.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$4.45 $4.45

-45.84%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$3.67 $3.67

-7.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$24.05 $24.05

-55.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.97 $1.97

-19.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$4.45 $4.45

5.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$3.12 $3.12

26.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$2.26 $2.26

73.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$2.82 $2.82

30.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.24 $2.24

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.95 $1.95

63.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$10.09 $10.09

-40.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$34.40 $34.40

-43.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$5.84 $5.84

-38.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.46 $1.46

-23.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$42.51 $42.51

57.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$6.04 $6.04

-58.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.86 $0.86

81.40%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$217 $217

-56.19%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$115 $115

-69.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$73.1 $73.1

-19.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$63.1 $63.1

15.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$15.27 $15.27

-50.36%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$583 $583

71.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$989 $989

-6.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$815 $815

-5.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$1,575 $1,575

24.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$1,278 $1,278

0.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$1,483 $1,483

53.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$1,530 $1,530

19.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$4,082 $4,082

-75.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.82

26.39%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Grand Forks, ND: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Grand Forks, ND

$815 40.1% 5.3% $41

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Grand Forks, ND

$322 * 15.8% 19.7% $79

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Grand Forks, ND

$343 16.9% 49.7% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Grand Forks, ND

$406 19.9% 114% $216

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Grand Forks, ND

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Grand Forks, ND

$94 4.6% 6.6% $5.8

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Grand Forks, ND

$54 * 2.7% 33.6% $28

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 $927 in San Jose and $989 in Grand Forks, ND. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Forks, ND pays 302% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in San Jose vs $81.0 in Grand Forks, ND. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $322, with Grand Forks, ND cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Grand Forks, ND

🕒 Local time

03:41 3:41 AM

04:41 4:41 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

50,372

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Grand Forks, ND 4,400 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Grand Forks, ND

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 Grand Forks, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Grand Forks, ND. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 302% lower in Grand Forks, ND. 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: $927 in San Jose versus $989 in Grand Forks, ND. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Jose runs roughly 57% less than in Grand Forks, ND. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,001 in San Jose versus $583 in Grand Forks, ND. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,034 in Grand Forks, ND, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Grand Forks, ND. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,938 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Jose and Grand Forks, ND are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Grand Forks, ND. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.