Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Hillsboro, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,859 in Hillsboro, OR, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Hillsboro, OR
Learn more

Hillsboro, OR Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Hillsboro, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Hillsboro, OR

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 Hillsboro, OR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $2,859 in Hillsboro, OR, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Hillsboro, OR $2,859

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $3,884 in Hillsboro, OR, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Hillsboro, OR $3,884

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $4,908 in Hillsboro, OR, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Hillsboro, OR $4,908

San Jose is about 32% cheaper than Hillsboro, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Hillsboro, OR sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, Hillsboro, OR by 112%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$22.13 $22.13

-44.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$59.1 $59.1

2.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$7.79 $7.79

46.98%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$4.64 $4.64

-5.39%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$2.70 $2.70

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$2.13 $2.13

-9.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$5.06 $5.06

-36.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$5.95 $5.95

-25.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.06 $1.06

130.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$3.72 $3.72

-18.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$5.34 $5.34

-54.87%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$3.67 $3.67

-7.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$10.07 $10.07

6.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$13.91 $13.91

-25.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$19.94 $19.94

-29.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$3.70 $3.70

41.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.69 $1.69

-5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$3.90 $3.90

20.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$3.33 $3.33

18.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$2.08 $2.08

88.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$2.20 $2.20

67.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.94 $1.94

-42.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.93 $1.93

65.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$10.16 $10.16

-40.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$13.62 $13.62

43.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.76 $1.76

60.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$3.49 $3.49

2.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.84 $2.84

-60.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$99.5 $99.5

-32.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$4.91 $4.91

-49.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.34 $1.34

21.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$29.85 $29.85

-71.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.20 $1.20

30.00%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$18.4K $18.4K

21.81%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$22.3K $22.3K

59.32%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$149 $149

-36.15%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$40.21 $40.21

-11.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$47.37 $47.37

23.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$52.5 $52.5

38.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$11.88 $11.88

109.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$13.74 $13.74

-44.83%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$1,225 $1,225

-18.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$12.1K $12.1K

42.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$37.14 $37.14

89.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$38.11 $38.11

46.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$95.0 $95.0

36.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$85.1 $85.1

53.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$1,921 $1,921

-51.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$1,604 $1,604

-51.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$2,835 $2,835

-30.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$2,124 $2,124

-39.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$3,299 $3,299

-31.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$3,407 $3,407

-46.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$4,745 $4,745

-78.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.22

38.59%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hillsboro, OR: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Hillsboro, OR

$1.6K 56.1% 107% $830

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Hillsboro, OR

$389 13.6% 3% $12

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Hillsboro, OR

$313 10.9% 36.3% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Hillsboro, OR

$237 8.3% 25% $47

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Hillsboro, OR

$115 4% 34% $59

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Hillsboro, OR

$80 2.8% 8.9% $7.8

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Hillsboro, OR

$123 4.3% 49.5% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $1,921 in Hillsboro, OR. 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 367% higher in Hillsboro, OR, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose versus $59.0 in Hillsboro, OR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $389 – making Hillsboro, OR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Hillsboro, OR

🕒 Local time

03:26 3:26 AM

02:26 2:26 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

106,447

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Hillsboro, OR 5,410 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Hillsboro, OR

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 Hillsboro, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hillsboro, OR costs about 48% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $4,289 in Hillsboro, OR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,938 in San Jose and $2,859 in Hillsboro, OR. That's a gap of about 48%.

Public transport costs about 49% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Hillsboro, OR at $2,859. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hillsboro, OR it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,938 versus $2,859 in Hillsboro, OR. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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