Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Newton, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Newton, MA: $1,640 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Newton, MA
Learn more

Newton, MA Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Newton, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,640

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Newton, MA

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 Newton, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $1,640 in Newton, MA, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Newton, MA $1,640

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $5,429 in Newton, MA, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Newton, MA $5,429

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $9,218 in Newton, MA, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Newton, MA $9,218

San Jose costs about 28% more than Newton, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both San Jose and Newton, MA sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Newton, MA by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$29.97 $29.97

-58.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$121 $121

-48.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$12.16 $12.16

-3.70%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$6.05 $6.05

-24.96%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$3.06 $3.06

-10.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.33 $2.33

-20.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$8.24 $8.24

-59.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$7.89 $7.89

-45.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.09 $1.09

116.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$4.77 $4.77

-35.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$7.24 $7.24

-65.33%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.28 $4.28

-17.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$19.46 $19.46

-45.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$11.02 $11.02

-4.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$16.00 $16.00

-13.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$5.28 $5.28

-1.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.73 $1.73

-4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$5.61 $5.61

-12.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$6.59 $6.59

-41.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$4.36 $4.36

-10.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$3.80 $3.80

-1.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.92 $2.92

-61.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.57 $2.57

25.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$12.35 $12.35

-51.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$14.84 $14.84

33.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.88 $1.88

49.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.52 $2.52

44.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.45 $2.45

-55.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$91.2 $91.2

-28.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$2.64 $2.64

-14.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.72 $1.72

3.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$27.46 $27.46

-71.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.14 $1.14

31.58%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$27.4K $27.4K

21.94%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.6K $26.6K

59.06%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$238 $238

-60.85%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$57.0 $57.0

-36.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$76.4 $76.4

-20.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$66.3 $66.3

4.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$16.12 $16.12

-52.42%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$2,591 $2,591

-62.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$27.6K $27.6K

-31.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$74.4 $74.4

-5.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$50.6 $50.6

12.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$111 $111

16.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$132 $132

-0.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,822 $1,822

-35.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$6,530 $6,530

-69.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$5,452 $5,452

-74.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$5,593 $5,593

-52.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$5,036 $5,036

-59.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$7,756 $7,756

-87.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.69

28.85%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Newton, MA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Newton, MA

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Newton, MA

$466 28.4% 15.6% $63

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Newton, MA

$427 26.1% 83.9% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Newton, MA

$371 22.6% 95.6% $182

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Newton, MA

$165 10.1% 5% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Newton, MA

$99 6% 16.9% $14

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Newton, MA

$112 6.8% 39% $32

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 $1,822 in Newton, MA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Newton, MA are about 7.9 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $121 in Newton, MA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $466 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Newton, MA

🕒 Local time

08:15 8:15 AM

09:15 9:15 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

85,146

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Newton, MA 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Newton, MA

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 Newton, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,107 in San Jose, $1,640 in Newton, MA – Newton, MA comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $2,461 in Newton, MA. 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 $1,822 in Newton, MA.

Public transport costs about 28% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $972 per month in San Jose and $2,591 in Newton, MA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,107 in San Jose and $1,640 in Newton, MA, 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 $1,640 in Newton, MA to $2,107 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.