Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and North Little Rock, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,560 in North Little Rock, AR, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in North Little Rock, AR outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in North Little Rock, AR
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North Little Rock, AR Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

North Little Rock, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in North Little Rock, AR

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 Little Rock, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $2,560 in North Little Rock, AR, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
North Little Rock, AR $2,560

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $3,762 in North Little Rock, AR, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
North Little Rock, AR $3,762

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $4,964 in North Little Rock, AR, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
North Little Rock, AR $4,964

San Jose is about 24% cheaper than North Little Rock, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and North Little Rock, AR sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, North Little Rock, AR by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,568

$19.13 $19.13

-35.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.4K

$74.8 $74.8

-18.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,151

$11.17 $11.17

2.51%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,973

$5.10 $5.10

-13.92%

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

$2.70 ₡1,215

$2.59 $2.59

4.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡866

$2.05 $2.05

-5.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,438

$6.15 $6.15

-47.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,985

$7.02 $7.02

-37.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,096

$1.01 $1.01

141.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,373

$3.42 $3.42

-10.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,084

$4.41 $4.41

-45.35%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,528

$4.09 $4.09

-16.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,838

$12.50 $12.50

-14.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,694

$11.62 $11.62

-10.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,293

$15.58 $15.58

-10.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,360

$4.81 $4.81

9.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.59 $1.59

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,109

$4.32 $4.32

8.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,776

$4.62 $4.62

-14.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,765

$2.91 $2.91

34.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,657

$2.81 $2.81

30.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.11 $2.11

-46.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,434

$2.19 $2.19

45.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,700

$9.69 $9.69

-38.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,798

$14.22 $14.22

37.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,267

$1.80 $1.80

56.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,616

$3.30 $3.30

8.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.05 $2.05

-45.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$3.47 $3.47

-27.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡735

$1.66 $1.66

-1.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,823

$29.36 $29.36

-71.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡703

$0.89 $0.89

75.28%

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

$22.4K ₡10.1M

$29.1K $29.1K

-22.94%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$25.6K $25.6K

39.25%

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

$95.2 ₡42.8K

$188 $188

-49.23%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$52.3 $52.3

-31.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$68.0 $68.0

-13.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.7K

$43.86 $43.86

65.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,412

$13.29 $13.29

-42.96%

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

$1,001 ₡450.4K

$1,315 $1,315

-23.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$23.2K $23.2K

-25.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.7K

$50.3 $50.3

40.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$40.56 $40.56

37.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.4K

$87.0 $87.0

49.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$113 $113

15.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡417.1K

$1,618 $1,618

-42.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡348.3K

$1,332 $1,332

-41.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡884.7K

$2,603 $2,603

-24.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡579.4K

$2,238 $2,238

-42.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$2,791 $2,791

-18.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡823.5K

$2,474 $2,474

-26.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡457.2K

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: October 11, 2026

Last update for North Little Rock, AR: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

North Little Rock, AR

$1.3K 52% 72% $557

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

North Little Rock, AR

$388 15.2% 3.3% $13

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

North Little Rock, AR

$311 12.2% 35.7% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

North Little Rock, AR

$308 12% 62.5% $118

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

North Little Rock, AR

$131 5.1% 24.7% $43

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

North Little Rock, AR

$70 2.8% 19.8% $17

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

North Little Rock, AR

$20 * 0.8% 75.6% $62

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $1,618 in North Little Rock, AR. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose versus $75.0 in North Little Rock, AR. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in San Jose vs $388 in North Little Rock, AR – so North Little Rock, AR wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 North Little Rock, AR

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

09:16 9:16 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

64,591

💱 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 = 0.896 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose North Little Rock, AR 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
North Little Rock, AR

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 Little Rock, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – North Little Rock, AR is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $3,840 in North Little Rock, AR. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose and $75.0 in North Little Rock, AR. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in North Little Rock, AR – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in North Little Rock, AR at $2,560. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in North Little Rock, AR it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, North Little Rock, AR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.