Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Virginia Beach, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,847 in Virginia Beach, VA, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 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
137

Cost of Living Index in Virginia Beach, VA
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Virginia Beach, VA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Virginia Beach, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,847

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Virginia Beach, VA

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 Virginia Beach, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,847 in Virginia Beach, VA, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Virginia Beach, VA $2,847

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $4,018 in Virginia Beach, VA, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Virginia Beach, VA $4,018

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $5,188 in Virginia Beach, VA, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Virginia Beach, VA $5,188

San Jose is about 26% cheaper than Virginia Beach, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Virginia Beach, VA sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Virginia Beach, VA by 111%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,546

$18.07 $18.07

-31.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$89.3 $89.3

-30.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,248

$11.79 $11.79

-0.68%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,034

$5.82 $5.82

-21.99%

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

$2.75 ₡1,234

$2.81 $2.81

-2.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡835

$2.17 $2.17

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,501

$5.85 $5.85

-42.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,938

$6.94 $6.94

-37.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,057

$1.04 $1.04

126.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,375

$3.18 $3.18

-3.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,124

$5.31 $5.31

-52.73%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,580

$4.69 $4.69

-24.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,724

$10.20 $10.20

3.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,740

$10.09 $10.09

4.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,242

$17.95 $17.95

-22.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,331

$2.48 $2.48

109.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡738

$1.54 $1.54

7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,191

$5.17 $5.17

-5.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,722

$5.81 $5.81

-33.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,752

$2.36 $2.36

65.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,687

$4.40 $4.40

-14.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.65 $2.65

-57.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,443

$2.35 $2.35

37.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,698

$9.66 $9.66

-37.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,892

$11.89 $11.89

66.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,261

$1.76 $1.76

59.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,638

$2.11 $2.11

72.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.04 $2.04

-47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.2K

$70.1 $70.1

-6.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,015

$6.14 $6.14

-63.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡797

$1.47 $1.47

21.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,540

$20.16 $20.16

-60.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡671

$1.00 $1.00

50.00%

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

$33.5K ₡15.0M

$27.3K $27.3K

22.70%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.4K $26.4K

60.09%

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

$93.2 ₡41.8K

$208 $208

-55.24%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$59.5 $59.5

-39.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$67.1 $67.1

-9.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡30.9K

$23.62 $23.62

191.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$35.42 $35.42

-29.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,439

$9.20 $9.20

-16.63%

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

$972 ₡435.6K

$1,606 $1,606

-39.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$23.9K $23.9K

-21.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.7K

$62.4 $62.4

13.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.4K

$47.77 $47.77

18.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.7K

$119 $119

8.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$114 $114

15.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡524.3K

$1,968 $1,968

-40.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡422.8K

$1,531 $1,531

-38.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡889.3K

$2,848 $2,848

-30.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡627.6K

$2,193 $2,193

-36.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,765 $2,765

-3.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡913.0K

$2,294 $2,294

-11.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡442.3K

$4,366 $4,366

-77.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.57

31.20%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Virginia Beach, VA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Virginia Beach, VA

$1.5K 53.8% 62.4% $588

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Virginia Beach, VA

$380 13.4% 5.6% $23

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Virginia Beach, VA

$313 11% 34.6% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Virginia Beach, VA

$335 11.8% 76.3% $145

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Virginia Beach, VA

$154 5.4% 11.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Virginia Beach, VA

$42 1.5% 50.1% $42

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Virginia Beach, VA

$92 3.2% 13.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,968 in Virginia Beach, VA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Virginia Beach, VA are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $89 in Virginia Beach, VA. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $380 in Virginia Beach, VA – so Virginia Beach, VA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Virginia Beach, VA

🕒 Local time

05:46 5:46 AM

06:46 6:46 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

459,470

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 2 EUR

1 USD = 0.897 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 = 500 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Virginia Beach, VA 3,100 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Virginia Beach, VA

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 Virginia Beach, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Virginia Beach, VA is pricier by about 35%, 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 $4,271 in Virginia Beach, VA. 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 $1,968 in Virginia Beach, VA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $89 in Virginia Beach, VA. 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 $2,847 in Virginia Beach, VA. That makes San Jose about 26% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Virginia Beach, VA at $2,847. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Virginia Beach, VA 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, Virginia Beach, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.