Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Lumberton, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,591 in Lumberton, NC, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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 Lumberton, NC
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Lumberton, NC Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Lumberton, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,591

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Lumberton, NC

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 Lumberton, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,591 in Lumberton, NC, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Lumberton, NC $2,591

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,918 in Lumberton, NC, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Lumberton, NC $3,918

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $5,245 in Lumberton, NC, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Lumberton, NC $5,245

San Jose is about 19% cheaper than Lumberton, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both San Jose and Lumberton, NC sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Lumberton, NC by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$15.80 $15.80

-21.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$103 $103

-39.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$9.87 $9.87

18.64%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$4.79 $4.79

-5.22%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$3.09 $3.09

-11.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.14 $2.14

-13.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$6.03 $6.03

-44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$7.03 $7.03

-38.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.84 $0.84

180.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$1.44 $1.44

113.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$2.37 $2.37

5.91%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$5.95 $5.95

-40.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$18.99 $18.99

-44.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$17.14 $17.14

-38.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$27.65 $27.65

-49.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$3.71 $3.71

40.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.20 $1.20

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$3.24 $3.24

50.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$4.40 $4.40

-12.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.44 $2.44

60.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$3.88 $3.88

-3.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.92 $1.92

-41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.02 $2.02

59.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$9.00 $9.00

-33.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$14.92 $14.92

32.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.49 $1.49

88.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.99 $3.99

-8.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.84 $1.84

-41.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$67.1 $67.1

-2.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.67 $3.67

-38.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.21 $1.21

47.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$28.17 $28.17

-71.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.05 $1.05

42.86%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$31.0K $31.0K

8.14%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$25.3K $25.3K

67.39%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$150 $150

-37.87%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$75.7 $75.7

-52.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$70.3 $70.3

-13.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$37.01 $37.01

86.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$14.22 $14.22

-46.06%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$446 $446

117.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$30.5K $30.5K

-38.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$60.8 $60.8

16.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$40.35 $40.35

40.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$103 $103

24.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$139 $139

-5.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,554 $1,554

-24.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,277 $1,277

-26.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,600 $2,600

-23.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,130 $2,130

-34.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,953 $2,953

-9.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,263 $2,263

-10.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$2,358 $2,358

-58.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.75

27.70%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lumberton, NC: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Lumberton, NC

$1.3K 49.3% 35.4% $334

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Lumberton, NC

$435 16.8% 8% $32

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Lumberton, NC

$279 10.8% 19.9% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Lumberton, NC

$296 11.4% 55.8% $106

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Lumberton, NC

$154 6% 11.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Lumberton, NC

$65 2.5% 22.3% $19

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Lumberton, NC

$84 3.3% 4.3% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,554 in Lumberton, NC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lumberton, NC are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $103 in Lumberton, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $435 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Lumberton, NC

🕒 Local time

13:32 1:32 PM

14:32 2:32 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

19,025

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Lumberton, NC 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Lumberton, NC

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 Lumberton, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lumberton, NC costs about 23% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,886 in Lumberton, NC. 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 $1,554 in Lumberton, NC.

Public transport costs about 3% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $972 per month in San Jose and $446 in Lumberton, NC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Lumberton, NC at $2,591. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lumberton, NC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,591 in Lumberton, NC. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lumberton, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.