Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Hamilton, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,220 in Hamilton, MT, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Hamilton, MT despite lower rent and utilities.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton, MT
Learn more

Hamilton, MT Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Hamilton, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,220

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Hamilton, MT

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 Hamilton, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,220 in Hamilton, MT, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Hamilton, MT $2,220

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,644 in Hamilton, MT, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Hamilton, MT $3,644

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $5,068 in Hamilton, MT, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Hamilton, MT $5,068

San Jose is about 5% cheaper than Hamilton, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Hamilton, MT sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Hamilton, MT by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$37.54 $37.54

-67.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$69.0 $69.0

-9.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$11.34 $11.34

3.26%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.25 $5.25

-13.52%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.71 $2.71

1.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.98 $1.98

-6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$6.12 $6.12

-45.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$7.06 $7.06

-38.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.99 $0.99

138.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.49 $3.49

-12.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$4.56 $4.56

-44.96%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.18 $4.18

-15.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$12.30 $12.30

-14.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$12.43 $12.43

-14.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$19.15 $19.15

-27.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$5.96 $5.96

-12.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.29 $1.29

27.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$3.84 $3.84

27.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$4.63 $4.63

-17.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.77 $2.77

41.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$3.39 $3.39

10.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.10 $2.10

-46.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.18 $2.18

47.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$10.94 $10.94

-44.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$15.18 $15.18

30.70%

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

$3.51 $3.51

3.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.03 $2.03

-46.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$62.3 $62.3

4.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.13 $3.13

-27.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.83 $1.83

-2.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$32.18 $32.18

-75.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.03 $1.03

45.63%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$29.6K $29.6K

13.22%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.2K $26.2K

61.66%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$202 $202

-53.83%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$58.9 $58.9

-38.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$89.5 $89.5

-32.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$40.28 $40.28

71.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$13.00 $13.00

-41.00%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,307 $1,307

-25.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$22.7K $22.7K

-16.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$53.0 $53.0

33.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$47.47 $47.47

19.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$88.2 $88.2

45.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$115 $115

13.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,172 $1,172

-0.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$713 $713

32.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,379 $2,379

-16.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,802 $1,802

-22.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,261 $2,261

18.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,356 $2,356

-13.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,528 $3,528

-72.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.29

18.24%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Hamilton, MT: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Hamilton, MT

$713 32.1% 24.4% $230

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Hamilton, MT

$410 18.5% 1.8% $7.2

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Hamilton, MT

$461 20.8% 98.3% $228

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Hamilton, MT

$350 15.8% 84.4% $160

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Hamilton, MT

$137 6.2% 21.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Hamilton, MT

$66 3% 21.3% $18

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Hamilton, MT

$83 3.7% 2.4% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,172 in Hamilton, MT. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hamilton, MT are about 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $69 in Hamilton, MT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $410 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Hamilton, MT

🕒 Local time

22:08 10:08 PM

21:08 9:08 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

62,447

💱 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 = 0.891 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 = 0.891 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Hamilton, MT 4,940 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Hamilton, MT

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 Hamilton, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,107 in San Jose, $2,220 in Hamilton, MT – San Jose comes out roughly 5% 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 $3,330 in Hamilton, MT. 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 $1,172 in Hamilton, MT. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $2,220 in Hamilton, MT. That makes San Jose about 5% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $972 per month in San Jose and $1,307 in Hamilton, MT. 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 $2,220 in Hamilton, MT, 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 $2,220 in Hamilton, MT. 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, Hamilton, MT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.