Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and North Charleston, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,964 in North Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
141

Cost of Living Index in North Charleston, SC
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North Charleston, SC Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

North Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,964

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in North Charleston, SC

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 North Charleston, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,964 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
North Charleston, SC $2,964

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $4,247 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
North Charleston, SC $4,247

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $5,530 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
North Charleston, SC $5,530

San Jose is about 29% cheaper than North Charleston, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and North Charleston, SC sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, North Charleston, SC by 119%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$19.99 $19.99

-38.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$90.6 $90.6

-31.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$11.77 $11.77

-0.51%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.85 $5.85

-22.39%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.92 $2.92

-5.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.48 $2.48

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.86 $5.86

-42.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$8.03 $8.03

-46.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.99 $0.99

138.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.74 $3.74

-17.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$4.52 $4.52

-44.47%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.94 $4.94

-28.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$6.98 $6.98

51.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$14.80 $14.80

-28.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$20.65 $20.65

-32.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$7.99 $7.99

-34.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.77 $1.77

-6.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$5.03 $5.03

-2.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$6.17 $6.17

-37.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$4.24 $4.24

-7.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$3.25 $3.25

15.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.69 $2.69

-58.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.97 $1.97

63.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$9.07 $9.07

-33.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$15.52 $15.52

27.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.11 $2.11

33.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.98 $2.98

22.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.47 $2.47

-56.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$50.1 $50.1

30.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$2.94 $2.94

-23.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.22 $1.22

45.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$25.47 $25.47

-68.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.01 $1.01

48.51%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$26.7K $26.7K

25.18%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$25.1K $25.1K

68.67%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$233 $233

-59.97%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$74.5 $74.5

-51.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$84.9 $84.9

-28.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$17.26 $17.26

299.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$14.28 $14.28

-46.29%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$933 $933

4.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$18.4K $18.4K

2.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$55.8 $55.8

26.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$43.75 $43.75

29.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$115 $115

12.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$129 $129

1.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$2,000 $2,000

-41.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,525 $1,525

-38.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,474 $2,474

-19.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,330 $2,330

-39.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,861 $2,861

-6.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,816 $2,816

-27.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,763 $3,763

-73.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.61

30.41%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for North Charleston, SC: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

North Charleston, SC

$1.5K 51.5% 61.7% $582

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

North Charleston, SC

$445 15% 10.5% $42

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

North Charleston, SC

$332 11.2% 43% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

North Charleston, SC

$392 13.2% 107% $202

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

North Charleston, SC

$155 5.2% 11.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

North Charleston, SC

$46 1.6% 45.6% $38

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

North Charleston, SC

$69 2.3% 14.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $2,000 in North Charleston, SC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in North Charleston, SC are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $91 in North Charleston, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $445 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 North Charleston, SC

🕒 Local time

17:25 5:25 PM

18:25 6:25 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

97,471

💱 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 North Charleston, SC 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
North Charleston, SC

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 North Charleston, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Charleston, SC costs about 41% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $4,446 in North Charleston, SC. 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 $2,000 in North Charleston, SC.

Groceries cost about 10% more in North Charleston, SC, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $91 in North Charleston, SC. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in North Charleston, SC at $2,964. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in North Charleston, SC 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 $2,964 in North Charleston, SC. 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, North Charleston, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.