Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Knoxville, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,534 in Knoxville, TN, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Knoxville, TN
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Knoxville, TN Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Knoxville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,534

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,534 in Knoxville, TN.

San Jose $2,107
Knoxville, TN $2,534

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $3,650 in Knoxville, TN.

San Jose $3,081
Knoxville, TN $3,650

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $4,765 in Knoxville, TN.

San Jose $4,054
Knoxville, TN $4,765

Living in San Jose costs roughly 17% less than in Knoxville, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Knoxville, TN 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,546

$19.84 $19.84

-37.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$75.4 $75.4

-17.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,248

$10.16 $10.16

15.26%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,034

$5.57 $5.57

-18.49%

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

$2.75 ₡1,234

$2.71 $2.71

1.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡835

$2.62 $2.62

-29.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,501

$6.54 $6.54

-48.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,938

$6.91 $6.91

-37.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,057

$1.05 $1.05

124.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,375

$3.36 $3.36

-8.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,124

$4.72 $4.72

-46.82%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,580

$4.44 $4.44

-20.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,724

$10.24 $10.24

2.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,740

$9.68 $9.68

9.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,242

$14.87 $14.87

-6.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,331

$7.08 $7.08

-26.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡738

$1.47 $1.47

12.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,191

$2.83 $2.83

72.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,722

$5.37 $5.37

-28.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,752

$2.20 $2.20

77.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,687

$4.22 $4.22

-10.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.25 $2.25

-50.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,443

$2.16 $2.16

49.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,698

$9.16 $9.16

-34.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,892

$15.16 $15.16

30.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,261

$1.93 $1.93

45.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,638

$3.09 $3.09

18.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡485

$0.97 $0.97

11.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.2K

$29.41 $29.41

121.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,015

$6.48 $6.48

-65.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡797

$1.57 $1.57

13.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,540

$29.59 $29.59

-73.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡671

$1.01 $1.01

48.51%

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

$33.5K ₡15.0M

$27.8K $27.8K

20.43%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.8K $26.8K

58.01%

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

$93.2 ₡41.8K

$237 $237

-60.66%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$71.7 $71.7

-49.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$57.3 $57.3

5.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡30.9K

$24.08 $24.08

186.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$21.80 $21.80

14.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,439

$15.42 $15.42

-50.26%

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

$972 ₡435.6K

$1,214 $1,214

-19.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$19.7K $19.7K

-4.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.7K

$50.4 $50.4

40.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.4K

$45.43 $45.43

24.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.7K

$111 $111

16.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$124 $124

5.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡524.3K

$1,773 $1,773

-34.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡422.8K

$1,210 $1,210

-22.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡889.3K

$2,744 $2,744

-27.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡627.6K

$1,859 $1,859

-24.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$5,272 $5,272

-49.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡913.0K

$2,209 $2,209

-7.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡442.3K

$3,737 $3,737

-73.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.61

30.41%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Knoxville, TN: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Knoxville, TN

$1.2K 47.7% 28.3% $267

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Knoxville, TN

$383 15.1% 4.9% $20

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Knoxville, TN

$324 12.8% 39.4% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Knoxville, TN

$366 14.4% 92.6% $176

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Knoxville, TN

$149 5.9% 14.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Knoxville, TN

$55 2.2% 34.8% $29

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Knoxville, TN

$48 1.9% 41% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,773 in Knoxville, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays about 3.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $75 in Knoxville, TN. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $383, with Knoxville, TN cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Knoxville, TN

🕒 Local time

18:44 6:44 PM

19:44 7:44 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

190,740

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 2 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 = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 501 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2 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

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Knoxville, TN 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Knoxville, TN. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in San Jose. 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: $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,773 in Knoxville, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Knoxville, TN pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62 versus $75 in Knoxville, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,534 in Knoxville, TN, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Knoxville, TN. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value at $2,107 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Knoxville, TN on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.