Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Port St Lucie, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,883 in Port St Lucie, FL, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Port St Lucie, FL
Learn more

Port St Lucie, FL Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Port St Lucie, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,883

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Port St Lucie, FL

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 Port St Lucie, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,883 in Port St Lucie, FL.

San Jose $2,107
Port St Lucie, FL $2,883

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $3,989 in Port St Lucie, FL.

San Jose $3,081
Port St Lucie, FL $3,989

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $5,095 in Port St Lucie, FL.

San Jose $4,054
Port St Lucie, FL $5,095

Living in San Jose costs roughly 27% less than in Port St Lucie, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Port St Lucie, FL 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$20.79 $20.79

-40.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$79.0 $79.0

-21.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$11.38 $11.38

2.90%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$4.26 $4.26

6.57%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$3.03 $3.03

-9.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.40 $2.40

-22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.40 $5.40

-37.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$7.86 $7.86

-45.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.10 $1.10

114.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.77 $3.77

-18.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$4.53 $4.53

-44.59%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.13 $3.13

12.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$12.00 $12.00

-12.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$11.17 $11.17

-5.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$17.16 $17.16

-18.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$4.16 $4.16

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.85 $1.85

-10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$2.13 $2.13

129.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$2.68 $2.68

43.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$1.93 $1.93

102.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.41 $2.41

56.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.61 $2.61

-57.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.34 $2.34

37.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$9.16 $9.16

-34.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$14.80 $14.80

34.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.76 $1.76

59.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.76 $3.76

-2.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$44.97 $44.97

45.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$2.95 $2.95

-23.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.91 $1.91

-6.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$30.05 $30.05

-73.71%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

-8.72%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$25.9K $25.9K

63.05%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$200 $200

-53.33%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$63.9 $63.9

-43.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$76.6 $76.6

-20.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$36.96 $36.96

86.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$20.30 $20.30

22.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$16.30 $16.30

-52.94%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,609 $1,609

-39.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$12.8K $12.8K

47.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$53.5 $53.5

31.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$38.63 $38.63

46.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$95.1 $95.1

35.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$81.7 $81.7

60.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,951 $1,951

-40.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,607 $1,607

-41.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,834 $2,834

-29.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,270 $2,270

-38.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,822 $2,822

-4.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,353 $2,353

-13.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,834 $3,834

-74.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.38

35.11%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Port St Lucie, FL: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Port St Lucie, FL

$1.6K 55.8% 70.4% $664

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Port St Lucie, FL

$372 12.9% 7.7% $31

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Port St Lucie, FL

$316 11% 36% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Port St Lucie, FL

$340 11.8% 79.1% $150

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Port St Lucie, FL

$121 4.2% 30.5% $53

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Port St Lucie, FL

$70 2.4% 17.5% $15

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Port St Lucie, FL

$57 * 2% 28.8% $23

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 $1,951 in Port St Lucie, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port St Lucie, FL pays about 3.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $79 in Port St Lucie, FL. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $372, with Port St Lucie, FL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Port St Lucie, FL

🕒 Local time

17:34 5:34 PM

18:34 6:34 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

164,603

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Port St Lucie, FL 1,970 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Port St Lucie, FL

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 Port St Lucie, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 74% 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 $1,951 in Port St Lucie, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Port St Lucie, FL runs roughly 31% less than in San Jose. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $972 in San Jose versus $1,609 in Port St Lucie, FL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,883 in Port St Lucie, FL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Port St Lucie, FL. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Port St Lucie, FL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.