Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Union, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,365 in Union, SC, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Union, SC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Union, SC
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Union, SC Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Union, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,365

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Union, SC

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 Union, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,365 in Union, SC, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Union, SC $2,365

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,557 in Union, SC, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Union, SC $3,557

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,749 in Union, SC, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Union, SC $4,749

San Jose is about 11% cheaper than Union, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both San Jose and Union, SC sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Union, SC by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$8.74 $8.74

41.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$99.8 $99.8

-37.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$8.67 $8.67

35.06%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.69 $5.69

-20.21%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.20 $2.20

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.83 $1.83

1.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$2.76 $2.76

21.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$3.40 $3.40

27.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.09 $1.09

116.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.36 $3.36

-8.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$2.47 $2.47

1.62%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.19 $3.19

10.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$8.90 $8.90

18.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$13.02 $13.02

-18.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$14.96 $14.96

-6.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$2.75 $2.75

89.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.29 $1.29

27.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$3.27 $3.27

49.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$4.34 $4.34

-11.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.29 $2.29

70.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.05 $2.05

83.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.74 $1.74

-35.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.23 $1.23

161.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$8.47 $8.47

-28.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$8.77 $8.77

126.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.80 $1.80

56.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$5.22 $5.22

-30.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.20 $2.20

-50.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$55.0 $55.0

18.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$2.78 $2.78

-18.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$3.07 $3.07

-42.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$35.57 $35.57

-77.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.95 $0.95

57.89%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$28.1K $28.1K

19.03%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.0K $26.0K

62.92%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$177 $177

-47.20%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$63.8 $63.8

-43.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$45.59 $45.59

32.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$40.28 $40.28

71.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$11.72 $11.72

-34.56%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$2,537 $2,537

-61.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$32.6K $32.6K

-42.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$47.50 $47.50

48.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$20.79 $20.79

172.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$84.1 $84.1

52.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$100 $100

30.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,350 $1,350

-13.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,289 $1,289

-26.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,217 $2,217

-10.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,191 $2,191

-36.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,783 $2,783

-3.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,649 $2,649

-23.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$2,430 $2,430

-59.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

115.50%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Union, SC: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Union, SC

$1.3K 54.5% 36.7% $346

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Union, SC

$330 13.9% 18.1% $73

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Union, SC

$201 8.5% 13.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Union, SC

$286 12.1% 50.5% $96

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Union, SC

$114 4.8% 34.7% $60

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Union, SC

$64 2.7% 24.4% $21

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Union, SC

$82 3.5% 1.5% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,350 in Union, SC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Union, SC are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $100 in Union, SC. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $330 in Union, SC – so Union, SC wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Union, SC

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

06:20 6:20 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

8,000

💱 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 = 0.89 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Union, SC 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Union, SC

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 Union, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Union, SC is pricier by about 12%, 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 $3,548 in Union, SC. 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 $1,350 in Union, SC.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $100 in Union, SC. 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 $2,365 in Union, SC. That makes San Jose about 11% cheaper.

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, Union, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.