Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Pocatello, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Pocatello, ID: $1,942 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Pocatello, ID
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Pocatello, ID Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Pocatello, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$1,942

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Pocatello, ID

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 Pocatello, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $1,942 in Pocatello, ID.

San Jose $2,107
Pocatello, ID $1,942

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $2,673 in Pocatello, ID.

San Jose $3,081
Pocatello, ID $2,673

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $3,403 in Pocatello, ID.

San Jose $4,054
Pocatello, ID $3,403

Living in San Jose is roughly 8% more expensive than in Pocatello, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Pocatello, ID 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$15.07 $15.07

-17.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$49.28 $49.28

26.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$10.16 $10.16

15.26%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.08 $5.08

-10.63%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.16 $2.16

27.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.64 $1.64

13.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$2.91 $2.91

15.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$4.98 $4.98

-13.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.84 $0.84

180.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.36 $3.36

-8.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$4.01 $4.01

-37.41%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.21 $4.21

-16.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$8.65 $8.65

21.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$12.25 $12.25

-13.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$17.38 $17.38

-19.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$4.00 $4.00

30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.35 $1.35

22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$3.61 $3.61

35.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$3.38 $3.38

13.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$0.57 $0.57

585.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.42 $2.42

55.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.93 $1.93

-41.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.88 $1.88

71.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$10.38 $10.38

-42.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$8.87 $8.87

123.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.68 $2.68

4.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.46 $3.46

5.49%

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

$2.43 $2.43

-7.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$2.25 $2.25

-20.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$25.12 $25.12

-68.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.96 $0.96

56.25%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$35.2K $35.2K

-5.01%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$23.5K $23.5K

79.76%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$157 $157

-40.55%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$52.4 $52.4

-31.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$70.6 $70.6

-14.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$38.78 $38.78

77.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$14.90 $14.90

67.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$12.48 $12.48

-38.54%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$485 $485

100.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$27.1K $27.1K

-30.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$49.21 $49.21

43.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$45.40 $45.40

24.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$80.9 $80.9

58.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$69.7 $69.7

87.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,117 $1,117

4.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$874 $874

7.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$1,661 $1,661

19.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,097 $1,097

27.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,005 $2,005

33.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$1,989 $1,989

2.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,953 $3,953

-75.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.46

33.44%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Pocatello, ID: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Pocatello, ID

$874 45% 7.3% $69

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Pocatello, ID

$349 18% 13.4% $54

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Pocatello, ID

$252 13% 8.3% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Pocatello, ID

$280 14.4% 47.3% $90

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Pocatello, ID

$110 5.7% 36.6% $64

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Pocatello, ID

$64 3.3% 24.4% $21

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Pocatello, ID

$14 * 0.7% 83% $67

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 $1,117 in Pocatello, ID. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pocatello, ID pays about 4 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $49 in Pocatello, ID for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $349 per month, with Pocatello, ID cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Pocatello, ID

🕒 Local time

15:13 3:13 PM

14:13 2:13 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

56,320

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Pocatello, ID 4,580 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Pocatello, ID

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 Pocatello, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pocatello, ID is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 75% 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 $1,117 in Pocatello, ID. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $972 in San Jose versus $485 in Pocatello, ID. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pocatello, ID – a meal for two runs $49 versus $62 in San Jose. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Pocatello, ID gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.