Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and San Marcos, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,361 in San Marcos, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Marcos, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in San Marcos, TX
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San Marcos, TX Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

San Marcos, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in San Marcos, TX

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 San Marcos, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $2,361 in San Marcos, TX, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
San Marcos, TX $2,361

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $3,510 in San Marcos, TX, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
San Marcos, TX $3,510

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $4,658 in San Marcos, TX, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
San Marcos, TX $4,658

San Jose is about 18% cheaper than San Marcos, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Jose and San Marcos, TX sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, San Marcos, TX by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$14.98 $14.98

-17.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$60.5 $60.5

0.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$11.80 $11.80

-2.97%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$4.72 $4.72

-6.99%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$2.90 $2.90

-6.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$1.73 $1.73

11.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$5.12 $5.12

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$6.11 $6.11

-27.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$0.76 $0.76

221.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$3.20 $3.20

-4.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$3.74 $3.74

-35.56%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$2.77 $2.77

22.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$10.06 $10.06

6.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$9.81 $9.81

6.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$12.95 $12.95

8.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$6.21 $6.21

-15.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.13 $1.13

40.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$6.58 $6.58

-28.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$4.83 $4.83

-18.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$3.99 $3.99

-1.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$2.92 $2.92

26.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.83 $1.83

-38.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.80 $1.80

77.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$8.49 $8.49

-29.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$13.93 $13.93

40.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.77 $1.77

59.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$3.94 $3.94

-8.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$4.57 $4.57

-45.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.82 $1.82

-10.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$59.5 $59.5

-85.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.81 $0.81

92.59%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$36.0K $36.0K

-37.83%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$25.0K $25.0K

42.21%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$134 $134

-28.95%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$40.38 $40.38

-11.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$55.8 $55.8

5.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$68.9 $68.9

5.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$11.32 $11.32

-33.04%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$665 $665

50.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$17.7K $17.7K

-3.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$59.4 $59.4

18.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$38.15 $38.15

46.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$83.0 $83.0

56.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$123 $123

6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$1,350 $1,350

-31.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$1,258 $1,258

-38.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$2,855 $2,855

-31.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$2,205 $2,205

-41.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$2,463 $2,463

-7.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$1,874 $1,874

-2.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$3,143 $3,143

-67.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.45

33.64%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Marcos, TX: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

San Marcos, TX

$1.3K 53.3% 62.4% $483

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

San Marcos, TX

$363 15.4% 9.4% $38

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

San Marcos, TX

$268 11.4% 17% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

San Marcos, TX

$230 9.8% 21.5% $41

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

San Marcos, TX

$136 5.8% 21.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

San Marcos, TX

$92 3.9% 4.2% $3.7

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

San Marcos, TX

$14 * 0.6% 83.3% $68

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 $1,350 in San Marcos, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 209% higher in San Marcos, TX, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose versus $60.0 in San Marcos, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $363 – making San Marcos, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 San Marcos, TX

🕒 Local time

12:44 12:44 PM

13:44 1:44 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

44,894

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose San Marcos, TX 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
San Marcos, TX

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 San Marcos, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Marcos, TX is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $3,541 in San Marcos, TX. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,938 in San Jose and $2,361 in San Marcos, TX. That's a gap of about 22%.

Kindergarten costs $1,001 per month in San Jose and $665 in San Marcos, TX. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in San Marcos, TX at $2,361. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Marcos, TX 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, San Marcos, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.