Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and South Portland, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $3,083 in South Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in South Portland, ME
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South Portland, ME Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

South Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$3,083

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in South Portland, ME

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 South Portland, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $3,083 in South Portland, ME, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
South Portland, ME $3,083

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $4,598 in South Portland, ME, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
South Portland, ME $4,598

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $6,113 in South Portland, ME, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
South Portland, ME $6,113

San Jose is about 32% cheaper than South Portland, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and South Portland, ME sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, South Portland, ME by 128%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,546

$25.11 $25.11

-50.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$119 $119

-47.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,248

$14.81 $14.81

-20.93%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,034

$5.36 $5.36

-15.30%

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

$2.75 ₡1,234

$3.01 $3.01

-8.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡835

$2.35 $2.35

-20.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,501

$8.11 $8.11

-58.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,938

$7.85 $7.85

-44.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,057

$1.08 $1.08

118.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,375

$4.60 $4.60

-33.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,124

$7.09 $7.09

-64.60%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,580

$4.05 $4.05

-12.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,724

$15.82 $15.82

-33.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,740

$10.27 $10.27

2.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,242

$15.92 $15.92

-12.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,331

$4.81 $4.81

8.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡738

$1.70 $1.70

-2.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,191

$5.55 $5.55

-11.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,722

$7.67 $7.67

-49.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,752

$4.36 $4.36

-10.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,687

$3.64 $3.64

3.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$3.03 $3.03

-63.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,443

$2.61 $2.61

23.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,698

$12.12 $12.12

-50.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,892

$15.01 $15.01

32.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,261

$1.96 $1.96

43.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,638

$2.59 $2.59

40.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.07 $2.07

-47.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.2K

$57.1 $57.1

14.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,015

$2.55 $2.55

-11.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡797

$1.77 $1.77

0.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,540

$28.48 $28.48

-72.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡671

$1.15 $1.15

30.43%

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

$33.5K ₡15.0M

$27.2K $27.2K

22.87%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$25.9K $25.9K

63.19%

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

$93.2 ₡41.8K

$234 $234

-60.19%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$68.1 $68.1

-46.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$77.9 $77.9

-22.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡30.9K

$39.73 $39.73

73.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$29.99 $29.99

-16.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,439

$15.04 $15.04

-49.00%

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

$972 ₡435.6K

$407 $407

138.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$27.1K $27.1K

-30.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.7K

$51.7 $51.7

36.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.4K

$49.39 $49.39

14.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.7K

$104 $104

23.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$131 $131

-0.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡524.3K

$1,926 $1,926

-39.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡422.8K

$1,567 $1,567

-39.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡889.3K

$3,164 $3,164

-37.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡627.6K

$2,599 $2,599

-46.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,781 $2,781

-3.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡913.0K

$2,340 $2,340

-12.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡442.3K

$4,216 $4,216

-76.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.65

29.62%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for South Portland, ME: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

South Portland, ME

$1.6K 50.8% 66.1% $623

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

South Portland, ME

$451 14.6% 12.1% $49

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

South Portland, ME

$387 12.6% 66.7% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

South Portland, ME

$380 12.3% 100% $190

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

South Portland, ME

$151 4.9% 13.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

South Portland, ME

$70 2.3% 17.2% $14

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

South Portland, ME

$77 2.5% 4.8% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,926 in South Portland, ME. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in South Portland, ME are about 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $119 in South Portland, ME. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $451 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 South Portland, ME

🕒 Local time

19:06 7:06 PM

20:06 8:06 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

26,498

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 2 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 7, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 501 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose South Portland, ME 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
South Portland, ME

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 South Portland, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – South Portland, ME is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $4,625 in South Portland, ME. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,926 in South Portland, ME.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $119 in South Portland, ME. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $3,083 in South Portland, ME. That makes San Jose about 32% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in South Portland, ME at $3,083. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in South Portland, ME it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $3,083 in South Portland, ME. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, South Portland, ME makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.