Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Jackson, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,181 in Jackson, TN, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Jackson, TN outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Jackson, TN
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Jackson, TN Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Jackson, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,181

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Jackson, TN

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 Jackson, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,949 per month in San Jose vs $2,181 in Jackson, TN, rent included.

San Jose $1,949
Jackson, TN $2,181

A couple spends around $2,903 per month in San Jose vs $3,079 in Jackson, TN, rent included.

San Jose $2,903
Jackson, TN $3,079

A family of three spends $3,857 per month in San Jose vs $3,978 in Jackson, TN, rent included.

San Jose $3,857
Jackson, TN $3,978

San Jose is about 11% cheaper than Jackson, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Jackson, TN sit above the global median – San Jose by 45%, Jackson, TN by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$17.24 $17.24

-29.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$49.79 $49.79

20.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$10.64 $10.64

10.62%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$4.96 $4.96

-13.31%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$2.36 $2.36

15.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.84 $1.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$3.97 $3.97

-17.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$5.03 $5.03

-13.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$0.86 $0.86

176.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$3.01 $3.01

3.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$2.73 $2.73

-11.72%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$4.16 $4.16

-16.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$9.74 $9.74

8.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$9.56 $9.56

10.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$14.02 $14.02

-1.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$3.92 $3.92

28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$1.37 $1.37

17.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$2.79 $2.79

64.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$2.99 $2.99

28.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$1.84 $1.84

104.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$2.30 $2.30

63.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$1.94 $1.94

-42.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$1.92 $1.92

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$8.69 $8.69

-32.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$13.15 $13.15

50.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$1.71 $1.71

60.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$2.05 $2.05

78.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.22 $1.22

-8.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

$35.36 $35.36

84.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$1.98 $1.98

24.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$1.22 $1.22

26.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$19.70 $19.70

-57.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$0.83 $0.83

86.75%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$34.4K $34.4K

-37.00%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$25.3K $25.3K

37.77%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$169 $169

-43.86%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$66.5 $66.5

-47.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$72.7 $72.7

-19.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$50.4 $50.4

43.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

$50.9 $50.9

-50.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$10.87 $10.87

-27.97%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$1,136 $1,136

-14.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$8,428 $8,428

101.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$51.9 $51.9

37.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$36.61 $36.61

49.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$64.7 $64.7

99.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$101 $101

32.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$1,212 $1,212

-22.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$1,032 $1,032

-25.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$1,662 $1,662

17.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$1,608 $1,608

-18.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$1,706 $1,706

33.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$1,704 $1,704

5.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$4,135 $4,135

-75.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.53

32.01%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Jackson, TN: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Jackson, TN

$1K 47.6% 33.9% $261

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Jackson, TN

$319 14.7% 20% $80

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Jackson, TN

$276 12.7% 21.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Jackson, TN

$308 14.2% 63.5% $120

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Jackson, TN

$114 5.3% 34.7% $61

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Jackson, TN

$72 3.3% 17.9% $16

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Jackson, TN

$48 2.2% 39.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $934 in San Jose versus $1,212 in Jackson, TN. 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 311% higher in Jackson, TN, 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 $60.0 in San Jose versus $50.0 in Jackson, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $319 – making Jackson, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Jackson, TN

🕒 Local time

01:59 1:59 AM

02:59 2:59 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

153,701

💱 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 = 0.892 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 11, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Jackson, TN 2,900 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Jackson, TN

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 Jackson, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,949 in San Jose, $2,181 in Jackson, TN – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,924 per month in San Jose and $3,271 in Jackson, TN. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 25% cheaper in Jackson, TN – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in San Jose and $50.0 in Jackson, TN. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Jackson, TN at $2,181. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jackson, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,949 in San Jose to $2,181 in Jackson, TN. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jackson, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.