Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Orem, UT

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,487 in Orem, UT, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Orem, UT outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Orem, UT
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Orem, UT Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Orem, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,487

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Orem, UT

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 Orem, UT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,487 in Orem, UT.

San Jose $2,107
Orem, UT $2,487

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $3,371 in Orem, UT.

San Jose $3,081
Orem, UT $3,371

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $4,254 in Orem, UT.

San Jose $4,054
Orem, UT $4,254

Living in San Jose costs roughly 15% less than in Orem, UT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Orem, UT 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,572

$14.87 $14.87

-16.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.1K

$59.7 $59.7

4.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,272

$11.05 $11.05

5.97%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,043

$4.44 $4.44

2.25%

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

$2.75 ₡1,239

$1.78 $1.78

54.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡839

$1.48 $1.48

25.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,508

$6.09 $6.09

-44.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,947

$7.12 $7.12

-39.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,062

$1.02 $1.02

131.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,381

$3.13 $3.13

-1.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,129

$2.44 $2.44

2.87%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,588

$2.97 $2.97

18.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,746

$14.05 $14.05

-24.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,761

$13.07 $13.07

-19.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,270

$19.44 $19.44

-28.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,341

$2.78 $2.78

87.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡742

$1.66 $1.66

-0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,201

$2.48 $2.48

97.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,730

$4.47 $4.47

-14.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,760

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,694

$1.29 $1.29

191.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.73 $1.73

-35.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,449

$1.92 $1.92

67.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,711

$9.73 $9.73

-38.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,932

$15.04 $15.04

31.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,266

$2.19 $2.19

28.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,646

$2.96 $2.96

23.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡488

$2.53 $2.53

-57.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.4K

$84.5 $84.5

-22.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,019

$1.48 $1.48

52.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡800

$0.96 $0.96

85.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,557

$20.03 $20.03

-60.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡674

$1.11 $1.11

35.14%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$25.2K $25.2K

32.84%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.5K $26.5K

59.83%

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

$93.2 ₡42.0K

$166 $166

-44.01%

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

$36.13 ₡16.3K

$43.98 $43.98

-17.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.3K

$60.5 $60.5

0.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$22.40 $22.40

207.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,454

$15.08 $15.08

-49.14%

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

$972 ₡437.6K

$786 $786

23.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$12.9K $12.9K

46.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$52.9 $52.9

33.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$40.64 $40.64

39.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.9K

$85.8 $85.8

49.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.9K

$132 $132

-1.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡526.7K

$1,638 $1,638

-28.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.7K

$1,295 $1,295

-27.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡893.3K

$2,203 $2,203

-9.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡630.5K

$1,659 $1,659

-15.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,636 $2,636

1.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡917.1K

$2,195 $2,195

-7.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡444.3K

$3,693 $3,693

-73.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.83

26.21%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Orem, UT: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Orem, UT

$1.3K 52.1% 37.3% $352

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Orem, UT

$365 * 14.7% 9.5% $38

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Orem, UT

$263 10.6% 13.2% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Orem, UT

$271 10.9% 42.6% $81

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Orem, UT

$140 5.6% 19.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Orem, UT

$53 2.1% 37.6% $32

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Orem, UT

$101 4.1% 25% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,638 in Orem, UT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Orem, UT pays about 3.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $60 in Orem, UT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $365 per month, with Orem, UT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Orem, UT

🕒 Local time

17:11 5:11 PM

16:11 4:11 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

98,129

💱 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 = 0.891 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Orem, UT 4,340 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Orem, UT

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 Orem, UT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in San Jose. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,638 in Orem, UT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Orem, UT pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Orem, UT – a meal for two runs $60 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.

It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Orem, UT on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.