Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Staten Island, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $3,009 in Staten Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
145

Cost of Living Index in Staten Island, NY
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Staten Island, NY Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Staten Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Staten Island, NY

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 Staten Island, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $3,009 in Staten Island, NY, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Staten Island, NY $3,009

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $4,483 in Staten Island, NY, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Staten Island, NY $4,483

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $5,957 in Staten Island, NY, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Staten Island, NY $5,957

San Jose is about 30% cheaper than Staten Island, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Staten Island, NY sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Staten Island, NY by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$23.43 $23.43

-47.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$86.5 $86.5

-27.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$13.46 $13.46

-13.00%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$6.48 $6.48

-29.94%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.69 $2.69

2.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.69 $1.69

10.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$8.19 $8.19

-59.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$7.79 $7.79

-44.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.25 $1.25

88.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$4.93 $4.93

-37.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$6.68 $6.68

-62.43%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$6.00 $6.00

-41.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$17.57 $17.57

-40.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$14.16 $14.16

-25.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$19.61 $19.61

-29.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$6.69 $6.69

-22.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$3.60 $3.60

-54.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$6.49 $6.49

-24.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$6.89 $6.89

-44.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$4.38 $4.38

-10.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$4.46 $4.46

-15.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.89 $2.89

-61.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.87 $2.87

12.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$19.03 $19.03

-68.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$14.83 $14.83

33.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.86 $1.86

51.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.48 $3.48

4.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$3.08 $3.08

-64.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$2.91 $2.91

-22.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$2.12 $2.12

-16.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$42.65 $42.65

-81.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.09 $1.09

37.61%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$34.1K $34.1K

-1.73%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.4K $26.4K

60.46%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$227 $227

-58.86%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$71.3 $71.3

-49.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$65.2 $65.2

-7.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$118 $118

-41.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$20.40 $20.40

-62.40%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,973 $1,973

-50.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$20.5K $20.5K

-7.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$72.4 $72.4

-2.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$36.81 $36.81

53.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$104 $104

23.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$104 $104

26.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,808 $1,808

-35.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,415 $1,415

-33.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$3,317 $3,317

-40.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,415 $2,415

-42.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$6,647 $6,647

-85.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.72

28.27%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Staten Island, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Staten Island, NY

$1.4K 47% 50% $472

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Staten Island, NY

$524 17.4% 30.2% $122

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Staten Island, NY

$380 12.6% 63.4% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Staten Island, NY

$363 12.1% 91.2% $173

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Staten Island, NY

$143 4.7% 18% $31

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Staten Island, NY

$159 5.3% 88.7% $75

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Staten Island, NY

$26 * 0.9% 68% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,808 in Staten Island, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Staten Island, NY are about 6.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $86 in Staten Island, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $524 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Staten Island, NY

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

17:03 5:03 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

495,747

💱 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 Staten Island, NY 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Staten Island, NY

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 Staten Island, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Staten Island, NY is pricier by about 43%, 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 $4,514 in Staten Island, NY. 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 $1,808 in Staten Island, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $3,009 in Staten Island, NY. That makes San Jose about 30% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $972 per month in San Jose and $1,973 in Staten Island, NY. 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 $2,107, than in Staten Island, NY at $3,009. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Staten Island, NY 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Staten Island, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.