Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Idaho Falls, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,331 in Idaho Falls, ID, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Idaho Falls, ID outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Idaho Falls, ID
Learn more

Idaho Falls, ID Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Idaho Falls, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,331

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Idaho Falls, ID

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 Idaho Falls, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,331 in Idaho Falls, ID, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Idaho Falls, ID $2,331

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,363 in Idaho Falls, ID, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Idaho Falls, ID $3,363

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,394 in Idaho Falls, ID, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Idaho Falls, ID $4,394

San Jose is about 10% cheaper than Idaho Falls, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Idaho Falls, ID sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Idaho Falls, ID by 72%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$18.32 $18.32

-32.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$52.6 $52.6

18.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$9.98 $9.98

17.33%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$4.99 $4.99

-9.02%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.27 $2.27

21.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.54 $1.54

20.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$3.90 $3.90

-14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$7.15 $7.15

-39.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.70 $0.70

237.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.83 $3.83

-19.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$2.96 $2.96

-15.20%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.05 $4.05

-12.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$11.95 $11.95

-11.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$6.52 $6.52

62.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$9.73 $9.73

43.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$2.10 $2.10

147.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.20 $1.20

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$2.12 $2.12

130.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$2.08 $2.08

84.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$1.61 $1.61

142.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.41 $2.41

56.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.90 $1.90

-41.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.93 $1.93

66.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$10.43 $10.43

-42.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$7.40 $7.40

168.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.78 $1.78

57.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$1.49 $1.49

144.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$3.08 $3.08

-64.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$2.46 $2.46

-8.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$2.35 $2.35

-24.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$25.10 $25.10

-68.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.06 $1.06

41.51%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$35.2K $35.2K

-5.01%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.4K $26.4K

60.22%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$171 $171

-45.63%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$53.2 $53.2

-32.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$63.8 $63.8

-4.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$37.97 $37.97

81.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$11.60 $11.60

-33.88%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$932 $932

4.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$27.1K $27.1K

-30.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$41.22 $41.22

71.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$46.12 $46.12

22.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$69.9 $69.9

84.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$95.7 $95.7

36.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,328 $1,328

-11.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,282 $1,282

-26.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,034 $2,034

-2.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,147 $2,147

-34.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$1,891 $1,891

41.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$1,963 $1,963

3.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,550 $3,550

-72.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.12

40.85%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Idaho Falls, ID: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Idaho Falls, ID

$1.3K 55% 35.9% $338

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Idaho Falls, ID

$275 11.8% 31.8% $128

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Idaho Falls, ID

$285 12.2% 22.8% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Idaho Falls, ID

$288 12.4% 51.8% $98

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Idaho Falls, ID

$114 4.9% 34.6% $60

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Idaho Falls, ID

$61 2.6% 27.4% $23

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Idaho Falls, ID

$27 * 1.1% 67.1% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,328 in Idaho Falls, ID. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Idaho Falls, ID 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 $53 in Idaho Falls, ID. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $275 – making Idaho Falls, ID the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Idaho Falls, ID

🕒 Local time

16:31 4:31 PM

15:31 3:31 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

61,459

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 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 = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Idaho Falls, ID 4,610 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Idaho Falls, ID

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 Idaho Falls, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Idaho Falls, ID is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,497 in Idaho Falls, ID. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,328 in Idaho Falls, ID.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $2,331 in Idaho Falls, ID. That makes San Jose about 10% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $972 per month in San Jose and $932 in Idaho Falls, ID. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,331 in Idaho Falls, ID. 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, Idaho Falls, ID makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.