Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and The Villages, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,253 in The Villages, FL, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in The Villages, FL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in The Villages, FL
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The Villages, FL Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

The Villages, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,253

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in The Villages, FL

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 The Villages, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,253 in The Villages, FL, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
The Villages, FL $2,253

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,540 in The Villages, FL, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
The Villages, FL $3,540

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,828 in The Villages, FL, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
The Villages, FL $4,828

San Jose is about 6% cheaper than The Villages, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both San Jose and The Villages, FL sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, The Villages, FL by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,546

$12.07 $12.07

2.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$76.2 $76.2

-18.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,248

$8.63 $8.63

35.69%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,034

$4.46 $4.46

1.79%

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

$2.75 ₡1,234

$2.45 $2.45

12.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡835

$2.45 $2.45

-24.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,501

$5.05 $5.05

-33.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,938

$6.98 $6.98

-38.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,057

$1.05 $1.05

124.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,375

$3.48 $3.48

-11.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,124

$4.46 $4.46

-43.72%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,580

$4.12 $4.12

-14.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,724

$12.36 $12.36

-14.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,740

$11.76 $11.76

-10.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,242

$18.41 $18.41

-24.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,331

$5.12 $5.12

1.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡738

$1.30 $1.30

26.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,191

$4.28 $4.28

14.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,722

$4.77 $4.77

-19.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,752

$3.08 $3.08

26.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,687

$3.15 $3.15

19.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.18 $2.18

-48.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,443

$2.34 $2.34

37.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,698

$9.12 $9.12

-33.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,892

$14.81 $14.81

33.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,261

$2.23 $2.23

26.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,638

$2.93 $2.93

24.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.02 $2.02

-46.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.2K

$51.1 $51.1

27.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,015

$3.70 $3.70

-38.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡797

$1.73 $1.73

2.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,540

$30.89 $30.89

-74.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡671

$0.81 $0.81

85.19%

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

$33.5K ₡15.0M

$26.1K $26.1K

28.03%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$24.7K $24.7K

71.12%

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

$93.2 ₡41.8K

$197 $197

-52.80%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$59.4 $59.4

-39.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$69.6 $69.6

-12.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡30.9K

$40.45 $40.45

70.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,439

$13.81 $13.81

-44.46%

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

$972 ₡435.6K

$1,353 $1,353

-28.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$21.8K $21.8K

-13.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.7K

$53.0 $53.0

33.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.4K

$42.26 $42.26

34.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.7K

$96.2 $96.2

33.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$107 $107

22.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡524.3K

$1,450 $1,450

-19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡422.8K

$1,014 $1,014

-6.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡889.3K

$2,755 $2,755

-28.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡627.6K

$2,089 $2,089

-32.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,805 $2,805

-4.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡913.0K

$2,369 $2,369

-14.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡442.3K

$6,529 $6,529

-84.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.47

33.23%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for The Villages, FL: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

The Villages, FL

$1K 45% 7.5% $70

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

The Villages, FL

$404 17.9% 0.3% $1.3

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

The Villages, FL

$235 10.4% 1% $2.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

The Villages, FL

$326 14.5% 71.8% $136

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

The Villages, FL

$134 6% 22.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

The Villages, FL

$68 3% 19.2% $16

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

The Villages, FL

$72 3.2% 11.4% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,450 in The Villages, FL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in The Villages, FL are about 6.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $76 in The Villages, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $404 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 The Villages, FL

🕒 Local time

18:32 6:32 PM

19:32 7:32 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

79,077

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

San Jose The Villages, FL 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
The Villages, FL

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 The Villages, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – The Villages, FL is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,379 in The Villages, FL. 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 $1,450 in The Villages, FL.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $2,253 in The Villages, FL. That makes San Jose about 6% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $972 per month in San Jose and $1,353 in The Villages, FL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,107 in San Jose and $2,253 in The Villages, FL, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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, The Villages, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.