Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and New Castle, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,448 in New Castle, PA, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in New Castle, PA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in New Castle, PA
Learn more

New Castle, PA Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

New Castle, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,448

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in New Castle, PA

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 Castle, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,448 in New Castle, PA.

San Jose $2,107
New Castle, PA $2,448

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $3,567 in New Castle, PA.

San Jose $3,081
New Castle, PA $3,567

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $4,686 in New Castle, PA.

San Jose $4,054
New Castle, PA $4,686

Living in San Jose costs roughly 14% less than in New Castle, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, New Castle, PA 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$15.08 $15.08

-17.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$54.9 $54.9

13.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$11.77 $11.77

-0.51%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$4.20 $4.20

8.10%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.22 $2.22

23.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.48 $2.48

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$3.40 $3.40

-1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$3.09 $3.09

39.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.90 $0.90

162.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.76 $2.76

11.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$6.45 $6.45

-61.09%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.10 $3.10

13.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$12.86 $12.86

-18.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$11.32 $11.32

-6.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$16.14 $16.14

-13.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$3.72 $3.72

39.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$2.58 $2.58

-36.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.82 $4.82

1.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$5.02 $5.02

-23.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.23 $2.23

75.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$4.58 $4.58

-17.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.00 $2.00

-44.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.86 $1.86

73.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$8.91 $8.91

-32.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$11.22 $11.22

76.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$3.06 $3.06

-8.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.30 $3.30

10.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.72 $1.72

-37.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$66.4 $66.4

-1.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.27 $3.27

-30.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.96 $1.96

-9.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$32.64 $32.64

-75.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.95 $0.95

57.89%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$27.4K $27.4K

22.32%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$28.1K $28.1K

50.44%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$98.6 $98.6

-5.48%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$54.1 $54.1

-33.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$67.2 $67.2

-9.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$36.07 $36.07

91.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$15.18 $15.18

-49.47%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$202 $202

380.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$8,800 $8,800

114.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$47.57 $47.57

48.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$40.33 $40.33

40.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$85.8 $85.8

49.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$141 $141

-7.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,588 $1,588

-26.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,298 $1,298

-27.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,529 $2,529

-21.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,128 $2,128

-34.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$3,109 $3,109

-13.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,375 $2,375

-14.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.03

22.62%

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 Castle, PA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

New Castle, PA

$1.3K 53% 37.6% $355

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

New Castle, PA

$387 15.8% 3.8% $15

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

New Castle, PA

$248 10.1% 6.8% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

New Castle, PA

$220 9% 15.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

New Castle, PA

$142 5.8% 18.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

New Castle, PA

$66 2.7% 21.2% $18

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

New Castle, PA

$86 3.5% 7.1% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,588 in New Castle, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $55 in New Castle, PA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $387 per month, with New Castle, PA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 New Castle, PA

🕒 Local time

16:39 4:39 PM

17:39 5:39 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

21,926

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose New Castle, PA 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
New Castle, PA

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 Castle, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,161 in San Jose and $3,672 in New Castle, PA 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 $1,588 in New Castle, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $972 in San Jose versus $202 in New Castle, PA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in New Castle, PA – a meal for two runs $55 versus $62 in San Jose. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.