Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Show Low, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,962 in Show Low, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
141

Cost of Living Index in Show Low, AZ
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Show Low, AZ Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Show Low, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,962

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Show Low, AZ

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 Show Low, AZ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,949 per month in San Jose vs $2,962 in Show Low, AZ, rent included.

San Jose $1,949
Show Low, AZ $2,962

A couple spends around $2,903 per month in San Jose vs $4,019 in Show Low, AZ, rent included.

San Jose $2,903
Show Low, AZ $4,019

A family of three spends $3,857 per month in San Jose vs $5,075 in Show Low, AZ, rent included.

San Jose $3,857
Show Low, AZ $5,075

San Jose is about 34% cheaper than Show Low, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Show Low, AZ sit above the global median – San Jose by 45%, Show Low, AZ by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$17.36 $17.36

-29.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$81.2 $81.2

-25.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$18.65 $18.65

-36.89%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$6.09 $6.09

-29.39%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$3.42 $3.42

-20.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$2.70 $2.70

-31.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$5.92 $5.92

-44.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$6.93 $6.93

-37.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$1.47 $1.47

61.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$4.49 $4.49

-30.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$4.41 $4.41

-45.35%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$4.18 $4.18

-16.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$13.77 $13.77

-23.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$11.51 $11.51

-8.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$15.74 $15.74

-12.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$4.72 $4.72

6.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$1.58 $1.58

1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$4.22 $4.22

8.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$5.01 $5.01

-23.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$3.03 $3.03

24.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$2.92 $2.92

28.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$1.99 $1.99

-43.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$2.24 $2.24

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$10.79 $10.79

-45.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$15.19 $15.19

29.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$2.01 $2.01

36.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$3.32 $3.32

10.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.11 $2.11

-46.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$3.39 $3.39

-27.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$1.57 $1.57

-1.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$32.81 $32.81

-74.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.09 $1.09

42.20%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$32.7K $32.7K

-33.73%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$25.2K $25.2K

38.14%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$199 $199

-52.52%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$57.5 $57.5

-38.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$99.1 $99.1

-40.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$44.11 $44.11

63.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$8.73 $8.73

-10.31%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$1,265 $1,265

-23.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$25.6K $25.6K

-33.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$49.18 $49.18

45.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$40.02 $40.02

37.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$88.5 $88.5

45.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$104 $104

27.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$1,478 $1,478

-36.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$1,620 $1,620

-52.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$2,454 $2,454

-20.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$2,247 $2,247

-41.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$2,881 $2,881

-20.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$2,450 $2,450

-26.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.57

31.20%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Show Low, AZ: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Show Low, AZ

$1.6K 55.3% 110% $850

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Show Low, AZ

$412 14.1% 3.2% $13

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Show Low, AZ

$336 11.5% 47.3% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Show Low, AZ

$356 12.1% 89% $168

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Show Low, AZ

$127 4.3% 27.5% $48

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Show Low, AZ

$62 2.1% 29.9% $26

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Show Low, AZ

$20 * 0.7% 75.3% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $934 in San Jose versus $1,478 in Show Low, AZ. 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 $60.0 in San Jose versus $81.0 in Show Low, AZ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $412 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Show Low, AZ

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

07:16 7:16 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

11,732

💱 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 = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Show Low, AZ 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Show Low, AZ

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 Show Low, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Show Low, AZ is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,924 per month in San Jose and $4,444 in Show Low, AZ. 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 $1,949 in San Jose and $2,962 in Show Low, AZ. That's a gap of about 52%.

Kindergarten costs $971 per month in San Jose and $1,265 in Show Low, AZ. 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 $1,949, than in Show Low, AZ at $2,962. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Show Low, AZ 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, Show Low, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.