Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Minot, ND

For one person, living costs are similar in San Jose and in Minot, ND: $1,924 and $1,966 a month, rent and utilities included.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Minot, ND
Learn more

Minot, ND Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Minot, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$1,966

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Minot, ND

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 Minot, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $1,966 in Minot, ND, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Minot, ND $1,966

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $3,003 in Minot, ND, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Minot, ND $3,003

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $4,040 in Minot, ND, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Minot, ND $4,040

San Jose is about 2% cheaper than Minot, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both San Jose and Minot, ND sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Minot, ND by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$16.11 $16.11

-23.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$76.0 $76.0

-18.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$12.43 $12.43

-7.24%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$7.50 $7.50

-42.00%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.91 $2.91

-9.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$2.39 $2.39

-22.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$5.64 $5.64

-41.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$6.80 $6.80

-33.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$1.09 $1.09

119.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$3.07 $3.07

0.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$3.18 $3.18

-21.38%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$4.86 $4.86

-28.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$4.39 $4.39

144.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$16.13 $16.13

-36.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$23.13 $23.13

-39.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$4.35 $4.35

15.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$2.03 $2.03

-21.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$3.57 $3.57

35.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$4.40 $4.40

-10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$3.28 $3.28

14.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$3.88 $3.88

-3.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$3.04 $3.04

-64.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$2.69 $2.69

20.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$8.01 $8.01

-26.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$15.29 $15.29

32.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$0.85 $0.85

85.88%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$31.1K $31.1K

8.16%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$22.1K $22.1K

88.62%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$210 $210

-55.51%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$160 $160

-77.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$75.7 $75.7

-20.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$14.72 $14.72

-47.42%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,030 $1,030

-2.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$34.63 $34.63

110.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$63.2 $63.2

-12.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$115 $115

11.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$73.9 $73.9

76.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$927 $927

0.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$643 $643

18.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$1,669 $1,669

15.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$1,134 $1,134

12.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$1,551 $1,551

48.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$1,524 $1,524

20.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$3,469 $3,469

-70.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.62

30.21%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Minot, ND: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Minot, ND

$643 32.7% 15.4% $117

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Minot, ND

$400 * 20.3% 0.8% $3.4

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Minot, ND

$319 16.2% 39.5% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Minot, ND

$446 22.7% 136% $257

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Minot, ND

$129 6.6% 26% $45

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Minot, ND

$29 * 1.5% 66.6% $59

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Minot, ND

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $927 in Minot, ND. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 237% higher in Minot, ND, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in San Jose versus $76.0 in Minot, ND. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $400 in Minot, ND – so Minot, ND wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Minot, ND

🕒 Local time

14:28 2:28 PM

15:28 3:28 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

34,745

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Minot, ND 4,550 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Minot, ND

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 Minot, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,924 in San Jose, $1,966 in Minot, ND – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $2,949 in Minot, ND. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,924 in San Jose and $1,966 in Minot, ND. That's a gap of about 2%.

Kindergarten costs $1,005 per month in San Jose and $1,030 in Minot, ND. 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 $1,924, than in Minot, ND at $1,966. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Minot, ND 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 $1,924 in San Jose to $1,966 in Minot, ND. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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