Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Killeen, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,106 in Killeen, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Killeen, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Killeen, TX
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Killeen, TX Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Killeen, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,106

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,106 in Killeen, TX.

San Jose $1,924
Killeen, TX $2,106

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,926 in San Jose versus $3,276 in Killeen, TX.

San Jose $2,926
Killeen, TX $3,276

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,929 in San Jose versus $4,447 in Killeen, TX.

San Jose $3,929
Killeen, TX $4,447

Living in San Jose costs roughly 9% less than in Killeen, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 42% above, Killeen, TX 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$20.34 $20.34

-39.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$65.3 $65.3

-4.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$11.77 $11.77

-2.04%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$5.43 $5.43

-19.89%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.92 $2.92

-9.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$1.87 $1.87

-0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$5.06 $5.06

-34.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$5.78 $5.78

-21.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$1.04 $1.04

129.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$2.30 $2.30

33.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$4.77 $4.77

-47.59%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$3.99 $3.99

-12.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$8.67 $8.67

23.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$11.14 $11.14

-7.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$18.15 $18.15

-22.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$5.75 $5.75

-12.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$0.94 $0.94

69.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$5.04 $5.04

-3.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$4.13 $4.13

-4.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$2.40 $2.40

56.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.87 $2.87

29.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$1.92 $1.92

-43.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$2.85 $2.85

14.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$6.03 $6.03

-2.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$11.73 $11.73

72.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.08 $2.08

39.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$1.83 $1.83

103.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

$72.9 $72.9

-10.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$3.08 $3.08

-18.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.79 $1.79

-8.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$14.76 $14.76

-40.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$0.93 $0.93

69.89%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$35.8K $35.8K

-6.20%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$24.2K $24.2K

72.54%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$191 $191

-50.90%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$58.0 $58.0

-38.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$66.6 $66.6

-9.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$23.01 $23.01

215.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$12.96 $12.96

-40.28%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$2,090 $2,090

-51.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$24.0K $24.0K

-29.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$38.16 $38.16

91.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$19.71 $19.71

181.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$63.4 $63.4

102.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$64.3 $64.3

102.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$1,010 $1,010

-7.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$882 $882

-13.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$1,553 $1,553

23.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$1,791 $1,791

-28.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$1,747 $1,747

31.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$1,758 $1,758

4.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$3,303 $3,303

-68.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.71

28.46%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Killeen, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Killeen, TX

$882 41.9% 16.1% $122

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Killeen, TX

$372 17.7% 7.7% $31

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Killeen, TX

$319 15.2% 39.5% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Killeen, TX

$315 15% 66.8% $126

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Killeen, TX

$83 4% 52.1% $91

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Killeen, TX

$49 2.3% 44.4% $39

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Killeen, TX

$85 * 4% 5.5% $4.4

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 $932 in San Jose and $1,010 in Killeen, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Killeen, TX pays 221% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $62.0 in San Jose vs $65.0 in Killeen, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $372, with Killeen, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Killeen, TX

🕒 Local time

15:15 3:15 PM

16:15 4:15 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

153,095

💱 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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Between locations

San Jose Killeen, TX 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Killeen, 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 Killeen, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose and Killeen, TX differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,924 vs $2,106 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 221% lower in Killeen, TX. 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: $932 in San Jose versus $1,010 in Killeen, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Jose runs roughly 11% less than in Killeen, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,005 in San Jose versus $2,090 in Killeen, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,106 in Killeen, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Killeen, TX. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose 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.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Killeen, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.