Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Kingsport, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Kingsport, TN: $1,963 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Kingsport, TN
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Kingsport, TN Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Kingsport, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,963

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $1,963 in Kingsport, TN, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Kingsport, TN $1,963

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,210 in Kingsport, TN, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Kingsport, TN $3,210

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,457 in Kingsport, TN, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Kingsport, TN $4,457

San Jose costs about 7% more than Kingsport, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Jose and Kingsport, TN sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Kingsport, TN by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$17.74 $17.74

-30.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$55.6 $55.6

12.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$11.17 $11.17

4.83%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.09 $5.09

-10.81%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.35 $2.35

17.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.98 $1.98

-6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$4.52 $4.52

-25.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$7.12 $7.12

-39.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.86 $0.86

174.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.65 $2.65

15.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$2.24 $2.24

12.05%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.42 $3.42

3.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$14.21 $14.21

-25.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$8.49 $8.49

24.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$17.06 $17.06

-18.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$5.45 $5.45

-4.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.15 $1.15

43.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$3.91 $3.91

25.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$4.52 $4.52

-15.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.36 $2.36

65.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$3.25 $3.25

15.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.14 $2.14

-47.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.04 $2.04

57.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$7.86 $7.86

-23.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$9.83 $9.83

101.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.68 $1.68

67.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$4.80 $4.80

-23.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$0.65 $0.65

173.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.86 $0.86

74.42%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$36.6K $36.6K

-8.63%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$25.6K $25.6K

64.99%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$122 $122

-23.68%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$49.69 $49.69

-27.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$64.0 $64.0

-5.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$41.13 $41.13

67.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$12.11 $12.11

-36.66%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$563 $563

72.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$14.0K $14.0K

34.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$44.49 $44.49

58.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$34.50 $34.50

64.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$90.8 $90.8

41.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$111 $111

17.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,083 $1,083

7.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$891 $891

5.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,348 $2,348

-15.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,072 $2,072

-32.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$1,879 $1,879

42.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$1,932 $1,932

5.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,763 $3,763

-73.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.79

26.95%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kingsport, TN: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Kingsport, TN

$891 45.4% 5.6% $52

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Kingsport, TN

$351 17.9% 12.9% $52

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Kingsport, TN

$291 14.8% 25.1% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Kingsport, TN

$236 12% 24.2% $46

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Kingsport, TN

$127 6.4% 27.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Kingsport, TN

$65 3.3% 22.5% $19

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Kingsport, TN

$3.3 * 0.2% 96% $77

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,083 in Kingsport, 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 Kingsport, TN are about 3.8 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $56 in Kingsport, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $351 – making Kingsport, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Kingsport, TN

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

19:07 7:07 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

53,014

💱 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 7, 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 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Kingsport, TN 2,960 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,107 in San Jose, $1,963 in Kingsport, TN – Kingsport, TN comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $2,944 in Kingsport, 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 $1,083 in Kingsport, 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 $56 in Kingsport, TN. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in San Jose, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,107 in San Jose and $1,963 in Kingsport, TN, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kingsport, TN – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.