Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Surprise, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Surprise, AZ: $1,305 a month against $1,949 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Surprise, AZ
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Surprise, AZ Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Surprise, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$1,305

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Surprise, 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 Surprise, AZ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,949 per month in San Jose vs $1,305 in Surprise, AZ, rent included.

San Jose $1,949
Surprise, AZ $1,305

A couple spends around $2,903 per month in San Jose vs $3,606 in Surprise, AZ, rent included.

San Jose $2,903
Surprise, AZ $3,606

A family of three spends $3,857 per month in San Jose vs $5,906 in Surprise, AZ, rent included.

San Jose $3,857
Surprise, AZ $5,906

San Jose costs about 49% more than Surprise, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

San Jose sits 45% above the global median, while Surprise, AZ is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$20.25 $20.25

-39.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$84.2 $84.2

-28.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$12.84 $12.84

-8.33%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$6.01 $6.01

-28.45%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$2.65 $2.65

2.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$2.46 $2.46

-25.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$7.20 $7.20

-54.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$8.13 $8.13

-46.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$1.00 $1.00

138.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$3.52 $3.52

-11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$5.19 $5.19

-53.56%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$4.73 $4.73

-26.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$13.40 $13.40

-21.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$11.30 $11.30

-6.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$14.80 $14.80

-7.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$4.61 $4.61

9.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$1.94 $1.94

-17.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$3.88 $3.88

18.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$4.21 $4.21

-8.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$2.55 $2.55

47.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$2.88 $2.88

30.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$2.13 $2.13

-47.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$2.17 $2.17

47.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$10.66 $10.66

-45.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$13.77 $13.77

43.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$2.51 $2.51

9.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$3.19 $3.19

14.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$2.80 $2.80

-12.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$1.40 $1.40

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$35.29 $35.29

-76.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.13 $1.13

37.17%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$36.7K $36.7K

-40.91%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$25.3K $25.3K

37.84%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$197 $197

-51.93%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$62.6 $62.6

-43.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$73.8 $73.8

-20.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$60.8 $60.8

18.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$13.16 $13.16

-40.50%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$1,090 $1,090

-10.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$15.6K $15.6K

9.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$56.0 $56.0

27.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$44.17 $44.17

24.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$99.9 $99.9

29.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$115 $115

15.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$2,116 $2,116

-8.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$3,030 $3,030

-56.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$1,591 $1,591

12.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$4,222 $4,222

-76.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.44

33.85%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Surprise, AZ: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Surprise, AZ

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Surprise, AZ

$392 29.9% 1.8% $7.3

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Surprise, AZ

$345 26.4% 51.4% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Surprise, AZ

$333 25.5% 77% $145

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Surprise, AZ

$142 10.8% 18.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Surprise, AZ

$87 6.7% 0.8% $0.7

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Surprise, AZ

$9.8 * 0.8% 87.7% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 320% higher in Surprise, AZ, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in San Jose versus $84.0 in Surprise, AZ. Groceries tell a different story – $399 in San Jose vs $392 in Surprise, AZ – so Surprise, AZ wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Surprise, AZ

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

06:49 6:49 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

143,148

💱 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 12, 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 12, 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 Surprise, AZ 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Surprise, 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 Surprise, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 49%, 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 $1,958 in Surprise, AZ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,949 in San Jose and $1,305 in Surprise, AZ. That's a gap of about 49%.

Kindergarten costs $971 per month in San Jose and $1,090 in Surprise, AZ. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surprise, AZ, where all-in costs run around $1,305, than in San Jose at $1,949. In Surprise, AZ it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Surprise, AZ – 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 Surprise, AZ. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.