Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and New Smyrna Beach, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,747 in New Smyrna Beach, FL, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in New Smyrna Beach, FL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in New Smyrna Beach, FL
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New Smyrna Beach, FL Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

New Smyrna Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in New Smyrna Beach, FL

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 Smyrna Beach, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,747 in New Smyrna Beach, FL, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
New Smyrna Beach, FL $2,747

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,951 in New Smyrna Beach, FL, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
New Smyrna Beach, FL $3,951

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $5,154 in New Smyrna Beach, FL, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
New Smyrna Beach, FL $5,154

San Jose is about 23% cheaper than New Smyrna Beach, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and New Smyrna Beach, FL sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, New Smyrna Beach, FL by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$20.11 $20.11

-38.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$79.8 $79.8

-21.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$11.38 $11.38

2.90%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$6.02 $6.02

-24.58%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$3.14 $3.14

-12.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.24 $2.24

-16.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$6.88 $6.88

-51.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$6.81 $6.81

-36.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.02 $1.02

131.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.22 $3.22

-4.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$2.46 $2.46

2.03%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.42 $4.42

-20.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$12.02 $12.02

-12.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$10.02 $10.02

5.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$15.90 $15.90

-12.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$5.95 $5.95

-12.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.40 $1.40

17.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.15 $4.15

17.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$4.70 $4.70

-18.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.53 $2.53

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.85 $2.85

31.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.47 $1.47

-23.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.76 $1.76

82.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$8.59 $8.59

-29.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$13.32 $13.32

48.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.15 $2.15

30.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.86 $2.86

27.62%

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

$1.52 $1.52

48.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.18 $1.18

50.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$13.54 $13.54

-41.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.94 $0.94

59.57%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$26.8K $26.8K

24.87%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.6K $26.6K

59.00%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$187 $187

-50.22%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$62.8 $62.8

-42.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$69.9 $69.9

-13.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$25.20 $25.20

173.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$13.44 $13.44

-42.93%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$626 $626

55.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$10.4K $10.4K

80.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$53.2 $53.2

32.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$48.64 $48.64

16.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$86.0 $86.0

49.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$113 $113

16.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,664 $1,664

-29.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,530 $1,530

-38.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,480 $2,480

-20.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,429 $2,429

-42.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,742 $2,742

-2.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,354 $2,354

-13.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$7,431 $7,431

-86.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.75

27.70%

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 Smyrna Beach, FL: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$1.5K 55.7% 62.2% $587

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$365 13.3% 9.3% $37

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$337 12.3% 44.9% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$320 11.7% 68.4% $130

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$135 4.9% 22.3% $39

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$52 1.9% 38.2% $32

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$7.4 * 0.3% 90.8% $73

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 $1,664 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. 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 Smyrna Beach, FL are about 7.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $80 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $365 in New Smyrna Beach, FL – so New Smyrna Beach, FL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 New Smyrna Beach, FL

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

18:52 6:52 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

30,142

💱 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 New Smyrna Beach, FL 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
New Smyrna Beach, FL

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 Smyrna Beach, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,107 in San Jose, $2,747 in New Smyrna Beach, FL – San Jose comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $4,120 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,664 in New Smyrna Beach, FL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $80 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in New Smyrna Beach, FL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in New Smyrna Beach, FL at $2,747. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Smyrna Beach, FL 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 $2,107 in San Jose to $2,747 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New Smyrna Beach, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.