Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Islip, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Islip, NY: $1,258 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Jose outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Islip, NY
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Islip, NY Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Islip, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,258

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Islip, NY

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 Islip, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $1,258 in Islip, NY.

San Jose $2,107
Islip, NY $1,258

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $2,199 in Islip, NY.

San Jose $3,081
Islip, NY $2,199

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $3,140 in Islip, NY.

San Jose $4,054
Islip, NY $3,140

Living in San Jose is roughly 67% more expensive than in Islip, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Jose is 56% above, Islip, NY is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$26.10 $26.10

-52.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$119 $119

-47.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$13.94 $13.94

-16.00%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.02 $5.02

-9.56%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.94 $2.94

-6.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.25 $2.25

-17.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$7.90 $7.90

-57.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$9.95 $9.95

-56.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.30 $1.30

81.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$4.36 $4.36

-29.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$4.21 $4.21

-40.38%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$5.27 $5.27

-33.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$19.73 $19.73

-46.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$18.21 $18.21

-41.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$16.38 $16.38

-15.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$4.36 $4.36

19.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.27 $1.27

29.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$2.26 $2.26

116.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$2.86 $2.86

34.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$1.70 $1.70

130.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.26 $2.26

66.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.56 $1.56

-28.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.11 $1.11

190.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$14.93 $14.93

-59.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$12.87 $12.87

54.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.33 $2.33

20.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$4.02 $4.02

-9.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$4.39 $4.39

-75.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$2.98 $2.98

-24.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$2.19 $2.19

-18.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$41.68 $41.68

-81.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.13 $1.13

32.74%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$27.2K $27.2K

23.20%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.4K $26.4K

60.02%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$78.1 $78.1

19.29%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$68.7 $68.7

-47.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$69.3 $69.3

-12.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$60.1 $60.1

14.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$15.81 $15.81

-51.49%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$3,515 $3,515

-72.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$47.8K $47.8K

-60.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$45.53 $45.53

55.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$27.39 $27.39

106.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$75.5 $75.5

70.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$89.3 $89.3

46.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$2,015 $2,015

-41.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$3,377 $3,377

-41.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$4,003 $4,003

-75.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.63

30.02%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Islip, NY: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Islip, NY

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Islip, NY

$421 33.5% 4.6% $19

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Islip, NY

$391 31.1% 68.3% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Islip, NY

$216 17.2% 13.8% $26

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Islip, NY

$107 8.5% 38.6% $67

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Islip, NY

$92 7.3% 8.8% $7.4

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Islip, NY

$32 * 2.5% 61% $49

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 $1,170 in San Jose and $2,015 in Islip, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Islip, NY pays about 4.1 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $119 in Islip, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $421 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Islip, NY

🕒 Local time

09:19 9:19 AM

10:19 10:19 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

339,938

💱 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 = 0.89 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 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 = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Islip, NY 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Islip, NY

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 Islip, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islip, NY is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in clothing and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in San Jose. 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: $1,170 in San Jose versus $2,015 in Islip, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $972 in San Jose versus $3,515 in Islip, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62 versus $119 in Islip, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,258 in Islip, NY versus $2,107 in San Jose, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Islip, NY but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Islip, NY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.