Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Texas City, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in San Jose and in Texas City, TX: $1,924 and $1,965 a month, rent and utilities included.

San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,924
/mo nomad
Texas City, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$1,965
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $1,965 in Texas City, TX, rent included.

  • San Jose $1,924
  • Texas City, TX $1,965

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $2,877 in Texas City, TX, rent included.

  • San Jose $2,926
  • Texas City, TX $2,877

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $3,788 in Texas City, TX, rent included.

  • San Jose $3,929
  • Texas City, TX $3,788

San Jose is about 2% cheaper than Texas City, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Texas City, TX sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Texas City, TX by 45%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Jose
Texas City, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.29 ₡5,513
$18.03 $18.03
-31.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 ₡27.9K
$74.8 $74.8
-16.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.53 ₡5,171
$9.94 $9.94
16.00%
Cappuccino
$4.35 ₡1,953
$4.15 $4.15
4.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 ₡1,183
$1.33 $1.33
98.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 ₡836
$1.97 $1.97
-5.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.32 ₡1,490
$5.97 $5.97
-44.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.52 ₡2,026
$7.14 $7.14
-36.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Jose
Texas City, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.39 ₡1,073
$0.72 $0.72
231.94%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 ₡1,381
$2.67 $2.67
15.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.50 ₡1,119
$3.21 $3.21
-22.12%
Eggs
$3.48 ₡1,562
$3.91 $3.91
-11.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.74 ₡4,815
$6.68 $6.68
60.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.32 ₡4,629
$14.22 $14.22
-27.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.10 ₡6,325
$10.63 $10.63
32.64%
Apples (1kg)
$5.03 ₡2,256
$4.37 $4.37
15.10%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 ₡714
$1.46 $1.46
8.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.84 ₡2,171
$4.36 $4.36
11.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.96 ₡1,776
$4.36 $4.36
-9.17%
Potato (1kg)
$3.76 ₡1,684
$2.56 $2.56
46.87%
Onion (1kg)
$3.73 ₡1,674
$2.30 $2.30
62.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ₡485
$1.77 $1.77
-38.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.25 ₡1,456
$2.19 $2.19
48.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.86 ₡2,627
$8.17 $8.17
-28.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.28 ₡9,095
$9.84 $9.84
106.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$2.93 $2.93
-1.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.73 ₡1,673
$3.30 $3.30
13.03%
🚌 Getting Around
San Jose
Texas City, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.08 ₡486
$0.98 $0.98
10.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.5 ₡29.4K
$40.06 $40.06
63.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.50 ₡1,123
$2.81 $2.81
-11.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 ₡732
$1.60 $1.60
1.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.71 ₡3,904
$19.83 $19.83
-56.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.58 ₡709
$0.82 $0.82
92.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.6K ₡15.1M
$34.2K $34.2K
-1.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.7K ₡18.7M
$26.3K $26.3K
58.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose
Texas City, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.7 ₡42.0K
$223 $223
-57.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.42 ₡15.9K
$25.31 $25.31
39.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.0 ₡26.9K
$69.3 $69.3
-13.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Jose
Texas City, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$14.86 $14.86
388.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.83 ₡11.6K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.74 ₡3,471
$14.16 $14.16
-45.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Jose
Texas City, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,005 ₡450.9K
$1,224 $1,224
-17.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K ₡7.6M
$21.0K $21.0K
-19.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Jose
Texas City, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$73.1 ₡32.8K
$53.1 $53.1
37.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.9K
$42.70 $42.70
29.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 ₡57.5K
$63.8 $63.8
101.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 ₡58.5K
$102 $102
27.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Jose
Texas City, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$932 ₡418.0K
$1,072 $1,072
-13.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$760 ₡340.8K
$809 $809
-6.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,922 ₡862.0K
$1,671 $1,671
15.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,276 ₡572.1K
$1,263 $1,263
1.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,301 ₡1.0M
$9,114 $9,114
-74.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,833 ₡821.9K
$7,687 $7,687
-76.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Jose
Texas City, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,029 ₡461.3K
$4,708 $4,708
-78.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
6.53
32.01%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Texas City, TX: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Jose
$760
Texas City, TX
$809 6.4% $49
Groceries & Markets
San Jose
$403
Texas City, TX
$342 15.2% $61
Eating Out
San Jose
$229
Texas City, TX
$281 22.9% $52
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose
$189
Texas City, TX
$317 67.7% $128
Clothing & Footwear
San Jose
$174
Texas City, TX
$118 32.4% $56
Sport & Entertainment
San Jose
$88
Texas City, TX
$43 51% $45
Getting Around
San Jose
$80
Texas City, TX
$55 31.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $1,072 in Texas City, 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 358% higher in Texas City, 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 $62.0 in San Jose versus $75.0 in Texas City, TX. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $342 in Texas City, TX – so Texas City, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇷 San Jose
🇺🇸 Texas City, TX
🕒 Local time
12:35 12:35 PM
13:35 1:35 PM
1 h ahead of San Jose
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
342,188 Capital
45,099
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Jose Texas City, TX 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • San Jose
  • Texas City, 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 Texas City, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Texas City, TX cheaper than San Jose?
Yes – Texas City, TX is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $2,947 in Texas City, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in San Jose or in Texas City, TX?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in San Jose and $75.0 in Texas City, TX. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in San Jose and in Texas City, TX?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,924 in San Jose and $1,965 in Texas City, TX. That's a gap of about 2%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in San Jose or in Texas City, TX?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Texas City, TX at $1,965. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Texas City, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is San Jose or Texas City, TX more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Texas City, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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