Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Long Branch, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,679 in Long Branch, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Long Branch, NJ
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Long Branch, NJ Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Long Branch, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,679

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Long Branch, NJ

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 Long Branch, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,679 in Long Branch, NJ, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Long Branch, NJ $2,679

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,965 in Long Branch, NJ, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Long Branch, NJ $3,965

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $5,252 in Long Branch, NJ, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Long Branch, NJ $5,252

San Jose is about 21% cheaper than Long Branch, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Long Branch, NJ sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Long Branch, NJ by 98%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$20.16 $20.16

-38.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$75.6 $75.6

-17.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$13.22 $13.22

-11.42%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.04 $5.04

-9.92%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.81 $2.81

-2.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.02 $2.02

-7.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$3.90 $3.90

-14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$6.84 $6.84

-36.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.01 $1.01

133.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$4.70 $4.70

-34.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$4.33 $4.33

-42.03%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$6.15 $6.15

-42.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$10.39 $10.39

1.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$10.45 $10.45

1.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$18.72 $18.72

-25.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$5.64 $5.64

-7.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.66 $1.66

-0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$3.34 $3.34

46.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$3.15 $3.15

21.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.24 $2.24

74.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.42 $2.42

55.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.77 $2.77

-59.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.98 $2.98

8.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$13.69 $13.69

-56.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$17.03 $17.03

16.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.82 $1.82

54.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.78 $2.78

31.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.93 $1.93

-44.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$55.7 $55.7

17.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.70 $3.70

-38.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$2.18 $2.18

-18.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$48.19 $48.19

-83.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.07 $1.07

40.19%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$27.2K $27.2K

22.96%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.7K $26.7K

58.65%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$200 $200

-53.32%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$37.46 $37.46

-3.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$60.9 $60.9

-0.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$45.62 $45.62

51.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$12.49 $12.49

-38.59%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$2,119 $2,119

-54.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$34.4K $34.4K

-45.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$37.84 $37.84

86.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$16.31 $16.31

247.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$101 $101

27.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$124 $124

5.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,566 $1,566

-25.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,380 $1,380

-31.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,282 $2,282

-13.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,378 $2,378

-41.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,862 $2,862

-6.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,506 $2,506

-18.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.51

32.41%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Long Branch, NJ: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Long Branch, NJ

$1.4K 51.5% 46.3% $437

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Long Branch, NJ

$413 15.4% 2.6% $10

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Long Branch, NJ

$314 11.7% 35.1% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Long Branch, NJ

$298 11.1% 56.9% $108

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Long Branch, NJ

$126 4.7% 27.8% $48

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Long Branch, NJ

$71 2.6% 16.2% $14

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Long Branch, NJ

$78 2.9% 3.3% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,566 in Long Branch, NJ. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $76 in Long Branch, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $413 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Long Branch, NJ

🕒 Local time

15:23 3:23 PM

16:23 4:23 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

32,314

💱 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 Long Branch, NJ 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Long Branch, NJ

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 Long Branch, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,107 in San Jose, $2,679 in Long Branch, NJ – San Jose comes out roughly 21% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $4,019 in Long Branch, NJ. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,566 in Long Branch, NJ.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Long Branch, NJ, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $76 in Long Branch, NJ. 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 $2,107, than in Long Branch, NJ at $2,679. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Long Branch, NJ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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