Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and New Bern, NC

For one person, living costs are similar in San Jose and in New Bern, NC: $2,107 and $2,084 a month, rent and utilities included.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in New Bern, NC
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New Bern, NC Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

New Bern, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,084

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in New Bern, 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 New Bern, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,084 in New Bern, NC, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
New Bern, NC $2,084

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,361 in New Bern, NC, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
New Bern, NC $3,361

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,638 in New Bern, NC, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
New Bern, NC $4,638

San Jose and New Bern, NC have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both San Jose and New Bern, NC sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, New Bern, NC by 54%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$18.28 $18.28

-32.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$85.3 $85.3

-26.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$12.03 $12.03

-2.66%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.23 $5.23

-13.19%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.79 $2.79

-1.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.34 $2.34

-20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$6.06 $6.06

-44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$6.90 $6.90

-37.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.97 $0.97

143.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.33 $3.33

-7.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$5.06 $5.06

-50.40%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.47 $3.47

1.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$13.03 $13.03

-19.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$10.62 $10.62

-0.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$15.30 $15.30

-9.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$5.21 $5.21

-0.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.29 $1.29

27.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$2.91 $2.91

68.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$5.46 $5.46

-29.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.81 $2.81

39.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.83 $2.83

32.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.90 $1.90

-41.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.18 $2.18

47.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$7.51 $7.51

-19.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$12.84 $12.84

54.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.79 $1.79

56.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.11 $2.11

72.99%

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

$3.44 $3.44

-34.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$2.30 $2.30

-22.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$32.08 $32.08

-75.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.83 $0.83

80.72%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$28.5K $28.5K

17.34%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$23.9K $23.9K

76.59%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$155 $155

-40.01%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$72.6 $72.6

-50.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$68.3 $68.3

-11.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$55.3 $55.3

24.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$11.35 $11.35

-32.42%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$60.7 $60.7

16.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$35.16 $35.16

61.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$85.8 $85.8

49.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$89.0 $89.0

47.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,156 $1,156

1.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$889 $889

6.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,200 $2,200

-9.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,908 $1,908

-26.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,090 $2,090

28.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,034 $2,034

0.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,698 $3,698

-73.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.51

32.41%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for New Bern, NC: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

New Bern, NC

$889 42.7% 5.8% $54

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

New Bern, NC

$375 18% 7% $28

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

New Bern, NC

$310 14.9% 33.3% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

New Bern, NC

$296 14.2% 56% $106

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

New Bern, NC

$122 5.8% 30% $52

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

New Bern, NC

$78 3.7% 7.4% $6.3

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

New Bern, NC

$15 * 0.7% 81.5% $66

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 $1,156 in New Bern, 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 New Bern, NC are about 3.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $85 in New Bern, NC. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $375 in New Bern, NC – so New Bern, NC wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 New Bern, NC

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

08:06 8:06 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

31,291

💱 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 New Bern, NC 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
New Bern, 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 New Bern, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,126 in New Bern, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,170 in San Jose and $1,156 in New Bern, NC. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 7% more in San Jose, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $85 in New Bern, NC. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,107 in San Jose and $2,084 in New Bern, NC, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,084 in New Bern, NC to $2,107 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.