Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Moab, UT

For one person, living costs are similar in San Jose and in Moab, UT: $2,107 and $2,104 a month, rent and utilities included.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Moab, UT
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Moab, UT Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Moab, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Moab, UT

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 Moab, UT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,104 in Moab, UT.

San Jose $2,107
Moab, UT $2,104

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $3,381 in Moab, UT.

San Jose $3,081
Moab, UT $3,381

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $4,657 in Moab, UT.

San Jose $4,054
Moab, UT $4,657

Monthly costs are close between San Jose and Moab, UT; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Moab, UT 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$20.15 $20.15

-38.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$61.1 $61.1

2.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$13.20 $13.20

-11.29%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.02 $5.02

-9.56%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.62 $2.62

4.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.82 $1.82

2.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.90 $5.90

-43.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$6.14 $6.14

-29.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.90 $0.90

162.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.08 $3.08

-0.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$1.81 $1.81

38.67%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$2.65 $2.65

33.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$8.60 $8.60

22.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$9.01 $9.01

17.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$15.16 $15.16

-8.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$5.32 $5.32

-2.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.54 $1.54

7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$3.26 $3.26

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$3.73 $3.73

2.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.17 $2.17

80.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.20 $2.20

70.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.04 $2.04

-45.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.23 $2.23

44.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$10.90 $10.90

-44.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$13.08 $13.08

51.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.98 $1.98

41.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.90 $3.90

-6.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$2.93 $2.93

-39.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.92 $0.92

63.04%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$42.0K $42.0K

-20.37%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$37.4K $37.4K

13.17%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$170 $170

-45.34%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$70.4 $70.4

-48.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$73.1 $73.1

-17.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$14.93 $14.93

-48.63%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,147 $1,147

-15.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$50.6 $50.6

39.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$26.31 $26.31

115.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$84.4 $84.4

52.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$98.4 $98.4

32.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,113 $1,113

5.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$977 $977

-3.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,407 $2,407

-17.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,215 $2,215

-36.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$4,847 $4,847

-44.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$4,513 $4,513

-54.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.91

24.75%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Moab, UT: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Moab, UT

$977 46.4% 3.6% $34

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Moab, UT

$331 15.7% 17.7% $71

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Moab, UT

$321 15.2% 37.9% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Moab, UT

$314 14.9% 65.3% $124

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Moab, UT

$117 5.6% 32.9% $57

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Moab, UT

$30 * 1.4% 64.6% $54

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Moab, UT

$15 * 0.7% 81.8% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,113 in Moab, UT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $61 in Moab, UT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $331 per month, with Moab, UT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Moab, UT

🕒 Local time

03:31 3:31 AM

02:31 2:31 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

5,300

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Moab, UT 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Moab, UT

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 Moab, UT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $3,161 in San Jose and $3,156 in Moab, UT to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,113 in Moab, UT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $972 in San Jose versus $1,147 in Moab, UT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in San Jose. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Moab, UT gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.