Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Medina, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,434 in Medina, OH, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medina, OH outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Medina, OH
Learn more

Medina, OH Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Medina, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,434

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Medina, OH

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 Medina, OH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,434 in Medina, OH, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Medina, OH $2,434

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $4,006 in Medina, OH, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Medina, OH $4,006

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $5,578 in Medina, OH, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Medina, OH $5,578

San Jose is about 13% cheaper than Medina, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Medina, OH sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Medina, OH by 80%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,546

$17.81 $17.81

-30.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$61.4 $61.4

1.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,248

$9.83 $9.83

19.13%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,034

$4.93 $4.93

-7.91%

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

$2.75 ₡1,234

$2.02 $2.02

36.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡835

$0.99 $0.99

87.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,501

$4.86 $4.86

-31.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,938

$6.92 $6.92

-37.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,057

$0.94 $0.94

151.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,375

$3.59 $3.59

-14.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,124

$4.43 $4.43

-43.34%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,580

$4.06 $4.06

-13.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,724

$8.69 $8.69

21.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,740

$12.11 $12.11

-12.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,242

$17.62 $17.62

-21.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,331

$5.09 $5.09

2.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡738

$1.51 $1.51

9.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,191

$4.14 $4.14

18.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,722

$5.58 $5.58

-31.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,752

$1.35 $1.35

189.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,687

$2.56 $2.56

46.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.31 $2.31

-51.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,443

$2.06 $2.06

56.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,698

$8.96 $8.96

-32.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,892

$13.13 $13.13

51.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,261

$1.39 $1.39

102.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,638

$1.47 $1.47

148.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡485

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,015

$3.94 $3.94

-42.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡797

$1.51 $1.51

17.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,540

$32.89 $32.89

-75.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡671

$1.05 $1.05

42.86%

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

$33.5K ₡15.0M

$33.9K $33.9K

-1.39%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.2K $26.2K

61.41%

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

$93.2 ₡41.8K

$258 $258

-63.81%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$52.9 $52.9

-31.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$69.4 $69.4

-12.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡30.9K

$37.10 $37.10

85.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,439

$11.92 $11.92

-35.65%

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

$972 ₡435.6K

$1,796 $1,796

-45.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$34.1K $34.1K

-44.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.7K

$46.76 $46.76

51.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.4K

$47.30 $47.30

19.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.7K

$74.3 $74.3

73.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$75.0 $75.0

74.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡524.3K

$1,027 $1,027

13.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡422.8K

$1,214 $1,214

-22.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡889.3K

$2,709 $2,709

-26.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡627.6K

$3,007 $3,007

-53.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡913.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡442.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.25

37.92%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Medina, OH: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Medina, OH

$1.2K 49.9% 28.8% $271

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Medina, OH

$377 15.5% 6.4% $26

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Medina, OH

$281 11.6% 21.1% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Medina, OH

$380 15.6% 100% $190

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Medina, OH

$109 4.5% 37.1% $65

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Medina, OH

$61 2.5% 27.7% $23

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Medina, OH

$11 * 0.5% 85.8% $69

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 $1,027 in Medina, OH. 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 $61 in Medina, OH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $377 – making Medina, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Medina, OH

🕒 Local time

02:04 2:04 AM

03:04 3:04 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

26,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 2 EUR

1 USD = 0.897 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 = 500 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Medina, OH 3,480 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Medina, OH

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 Medina, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medina, OH costs about 16% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $3,652 in Medina, OH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medina, OH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,027 there versus $1,170 in San Jose.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $2,434 in Medina, OH. That makes San Jose about 13% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Medina, OH – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,434 in Medina, OH. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.