Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Morristown, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Morristown, TN: $1,996 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Jose outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Morristown, TN
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Morristown, TN Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Morristown, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Morristown, TN

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 Morristown, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $1,996 in Morristown, TN.

San Jose $2,107
Morristown, TN $1,996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $3,107 in Morristown, TN.

San Jose $3,081
Morristown, TN $3,107

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $4,218 in Morristown, TN.

San Jose $4,054
Morristown, TN $4,218

Living in San Jose is roughly 6% more expensive than in Morristown, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Morristown, TN 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$19.93 $19.93

-37.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$101 $101

-37.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$10.81 $10.81

8.33%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.24 $5.24

-13.36%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.33 $2.33

18.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.12 $2.12

-12.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$6.11 $6.11

-45.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$7.37 $7.37

-41.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.94 $0.94

151.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.77 $3.77

-18.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$4.03 $4.03

-37.72%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.40 $4.40

-19.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$12.60 $12.60

-16.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$14.55 $14.55

-27.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$13.15 $13.15

5.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$6.67 $6.67

-22.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.60 $1.60

3.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.23 $4.23

15.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$4.22 $4.22

-9.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.97 $2.97

31.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$3.74 $3.74

0.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.72 $2.72

-58.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.43 $2.43

32.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$9.38 $9.38

-35.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$17.86 $17.86

11.09%

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

$3.37 $3.37

8.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.98 $1.98

-45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$59.6 $59.6

9.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$5.04 $5.04

-55.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.59 $1.59

11.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$29.45 $29.45

-73.17%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

20.74%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.9K $26.9K

57.17%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$155 $155

-39.97%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$84.6 $84.6

-57.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$76.5 $76.5

-20.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$39.52 $39.52

74.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$14.94 $14.94

-48.66%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,063 $1,063

-8.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$17.6K $17.6K

7.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$42.16 $42.16

67.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$37.99 $37.99

49.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$98.3 $98.3

30.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$117 $117

11.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$847 $847

38.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$658 $658

43.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$1,295 $1,295

53.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,111 $1,111

25.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,847 $2,847

-5.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,221 $2,221

-8.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$2,759 $2,759

-64.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.58

31.00%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Morristown, TN: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Morristown, TN

$658 33% 30.2% $285

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Morristown, TN

$421 21.1% 4.5% $18

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Morristown, TN

$318 15.9% 36.8% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Morristown, TN

$316 15.9% 66.6% $126

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Morristown, TN

$133 6.7% 23.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Morristown, TN

$69 3.5% 17.7% $15

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Morristown, TN

$81 4% 0.2% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $847 in Morristown, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Morristown, TN pays about 2.8 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $101 in Morristown, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $421 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Morristown, TN

🕒 Local time

16:13 4:13 PM

17:13 5:13 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

19,122

💱 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 Morristown, TN 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Morristown, TN

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 Morristown, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Morristown, TN is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in clothing and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 64% lower in San Jose. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,170 in San Jose versus $847 in Morristown, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Morristown, TN runs roughly 9% less than in San Jose. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $972 in San Jose versus $1,063 in Morristown, TN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Morristown, TN 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.