Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Katy, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,431 in Katy, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Katy, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Katy, TX
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Katy, TX Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Katy, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,431

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Katy, TX

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 Katy, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $2,431 in Katy, TX, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Katy, TX $2,431

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $3,672 in Katy, TX, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Katy, TX $3,672

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $4,913 in Katy, TX, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Katy, TX $4,913

San Jose is about 21% cheaper than Katy, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Katy, TX sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Katy, TX by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$16.86 $16.86

-27.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$60.5 $60.5

2.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$8.79 $8.79

31.17%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$3.58 $3.58

21.51%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.05 $2.05

28.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$2.06 $2.06

-9.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$3.94 $3.94

-15.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$5.46 $5.46

-17.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$0.91 $0.91

162.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$3.66 $3.66

-15.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.98 $2.98

-16.11%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$3.08 $3.08

12.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$12.77 $12.77

-15.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$9.27 $9.27

11.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$16.07 $16.07

-12.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$3.77 $3.77

33.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.23 $1.23

29.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$2.97 $2.97

62.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$3.15 $3.15

25.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$2.10 $2.10

79.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.35 $2.35

58.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$1.77 $1.77

-38.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$1.24 $1.24

162.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$9.77 $9.77

-40.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$12.36 $12.36

64.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.75 $1.75

65.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$1.63 $1.63

128.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$4.59 $4.59

-76.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

$91.0 $91.0

-28.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$2.80 $2.80

-10.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.58 $1.58

3.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$34.39 $34.39

-74.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$0.82 $0.82

92.68%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$32.5K $32.5K

3.37%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$24.6K $24.6K

69.72%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$226 $226

-58.62%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$57.4 $57.4

-38.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$70.7 $70.7

-15.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$30.38 $30.38

138.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

$25.12 $25.12

2.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$11.93 $11.93

-35.12%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,004 $1,004

0.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$19.3K $19.3K

-12.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$52.6 $52.6

38.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$43.11 $43.11

28.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$86.8 $86.8

47.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$104 $104

25.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$1,594 $1,594

-41.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$1,196 $1,196

-36.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$2,601 $2,601

-26.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$2,268 $2,268

-43.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$2,028 $2,028

13.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$1,693 $1,693

8.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$5,760 $5,760

-82.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.41

34.48%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Katy, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Katy, TX

$1.2K 49.2% 57.4% $436

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Katy, TX

$326 13.4% 19.1% $77

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Katy, TX

$251 10.3% 9.8% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Katy, TX

$354 14.6% 87.5% $165

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Katy, TX

$129 5.3% 26.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Katy, TX

$54 2.2% 38.4% $34

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Katy, TX

$120 4.9% 49.1% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $1,594 in Katy, TX. 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 460% higher in Katy, TX, 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 $62.0 in San Jose versus $61.0 in Katy, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $326 – making Katy, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Katy, TX

🕒 Local time

16:06 4:06 PM

17:06 5:06 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

14,102

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Katy, TX 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Katy, TX

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 Katy, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Katy, TX costs about 26% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $3,646 in Katy, TX. 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 24% cheaper in Katy, TX – 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 $62.0 in San Jose and $61.0 in Katy, TX. 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 $1,924, than in Katy, TX at $2,431. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Katy, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,924 versus $2,431 in Katy, TX. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Katy, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.