Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Johnson City, TN

For one person, living costs are similar in San Jose and in Johnson City, TN: $2,107 and $2,131 a month, rent and utilities included.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Johnson City, TN
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Johnson City, TN Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Johnson City, 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 Johnson City, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,131 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Johnson City, TN $2,131

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,129 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Johnson City, TN $3,129

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,128 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Johnson City, TN $4,128

San Jose and Johnson City, TN have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both San Jose and Johnson City, TN sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Johnson City, TN by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$13.79 $13.79

-10.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$54.0 $54.0

15.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$9.97 $9.97

17.45%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.13 $5.13

-11.50%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$3.10 $3.10

-11.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.96 $1.96

-5.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.10 $5.10

-34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$6.10 $6.10

-29.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.02 $1.02

131.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.91 $3.91

-21.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$3.93 $3.93

-36.13%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.17 $3.17

11.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$7.36 $7.36

43.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$13.82 $13.82

-23.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$13.10 $13.10

6.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$7.65 $7.65

-32.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.79 $1.79

-7.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.04 $4.04

21.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$3.51 $3.51

9.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$3.34 $3.34

17.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$4.45 $4.45

-15.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.19 $2.19

-48.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.35 $2.35

37.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$8.55 $8.55

-29.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$13.11 $13.11

51.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.63 $1.63

72.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$5.16 $5.16

-29.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.02 $1.02

5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$25.34 $25.34

157.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.54 $3.54

-36.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.32 $1.32

34.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$15.07 $15.07

-47.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.83 $0.83

80.72%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$30.3K $30.3K

10.39%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$24.4K $24.4K

73.00%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$175 $175

-46.75%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$52.1 $52.1

-30.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$61.7 $61.7

-1.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$46.99 $46.99

46.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$19.89 $19.89

25.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$12.03 $12.03

-36.24%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,318 $1,318

-26.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$10.4K $10.4K

81.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$38.00 $38.00

85.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$31.17 $31.17

81.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$86.3 $86.3

49.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$93.2 $93.2

40.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,166 $1,166

0.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$968 $968

-2.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$1,998 $1,998

-0.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,607 $1,607

-12.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,382 $2,382

12.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,029 $2,029

0.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,616 $3,616

-72.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.49

32.82%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Johnson City, TN: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Johnson City, TN

$968 45.4% 2.6% $25

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Johnson City, TN

$391 18.4% 2.8% $11

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Johnson City, TN

$260 12.2% 11.7% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Johnson City, TN

$289 13.6% 52.1% $99

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Johnson City, TN

$112 5.3% 35.7% $62

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Johnson City, TN

$71 3.3% 15.7% $13

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Johnson City, TN

$40 1.9% 51% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,166 in Johnson City, TN. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Johnson City, TN are about 3.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $54 in Johnson City, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $391 – making Johnson City, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN

🕒 Local time

13:39 1:39 PM

14:39 2:39 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

66,027

💱 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

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Between locations

San Jose Johnson City, TN 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Johnson City, 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 Johnson City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,196 in Johnson City, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,170 in San Jose and $1,166 in Johnson City, TN. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $54 in Johnson City, TN. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 61% less in Johnson City, TN. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,107 in San Jose and $2,131 in Johnson City, TN, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,131 in Johnson City, TN. 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, Johnson City, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.