Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Hays, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Hays, KS: $1,737 a month against $1,924 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in San Jose despite lower rent and utilities.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Hays, KS
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Hays, KS Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Hays, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Hays, KS

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 Hays, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $1,737 in Hays, KS, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Hays, KS $1,737

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $2,467 in Hays, KS, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Hays, KS $2,467

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $3,198 in Hays, KS, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Hays, KS $3,198

San Jose costs about 11% more than Hays, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Hays, KS sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Hays, KS by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$13.33 $13.33

-7.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$43.87 $43.87

41.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$8.11 $8.11

42.17%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$3.98 $3.98

9.30%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.39 $2.39

10.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$1.02 $1.02

82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$3.85 $3.85

-13.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$4.33 $4.33

4.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$0.76 $0.76

214.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$2.26 $2.26

36.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$4.46 $4.46

-43.95%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$2.06 $2.06

68.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$4.46 $4.46

140.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$8.93 $8.93

15.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$13.33 $13.33

5.78%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$6.04 $6.04

-16.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.64 $1.64

-3.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$5.06 $5.06

-4.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$4.42 $4.42

-10.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$2.93 $2.93

28.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.17 $2.17

71.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$1.97 $1.97

-45.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$2.03 $2.03

60.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$9.68 $9.68

-39.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$12.15 $12.15

66.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.23 $2.23

30.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$3.85 $3.85

-3.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$2.01 $2.01

-46.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$2.43 $2.43

2.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.57 $1.57

3.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$39.71 $39.71

-78.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$0.92 $0.92

71.74%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$28.1K $28.1K

19.69%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$26.0K $26.0K

60.57%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$269 $269

-65.14%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$34.85 $34.85

1.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$68.8 $68.8

-12.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$45.17 $45.17

60.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$15.21 $15.21

-49.11%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$922 $922

9.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$15.7K $15.7K

7.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$23.68 $23.68

208.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$31.82 $31.82

74.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$110 $110

17.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$138 $138

-5.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$793 $793

17.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$589 $589

29.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$1,034 $1,034

85.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$895 $895

42.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$2,386 $2,386

-3.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$2,615 $2,615

-29.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$2,386 $2,386

-56.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.65

29.62%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Hays, KS: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Hays, KS

$589 33.9% 22.5% $171

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Hays, KS

$325 18.7% 19.3% $78

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Hays, KS

$220 12.7% 3.8% $8.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Hays, KS

$372 21.4% 97% $183

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Hays, KS

$136 7.9% 21.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Hays, KS

$76 4.4% 14.2% $12

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Hays, KS

$18 * 1.1% 77.2% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $793 in Hays, KS. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 132% higher in Hays, KS, 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 $62.0 in San Jose versus $44.00 in Hays, KS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $325 – making Hays, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Hays, KS

🕒 Local time

04:14 4:14 AM

05:14 5:14 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

19,726

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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 Hays, KS 3,560 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Hays, KS

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 Hays, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $2,605 in Hays, KS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hays, KS, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in San Jose and $44.00 in Hays, KS. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in San Jose, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Hays, KS, where all-in costs run around $1,737, than in San Jose at $1,924. In Hays, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hays, KS. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.