Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Severn, MD and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,441 in Severn, MD, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Severn, MD
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Severn, MD Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Severn, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,441

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Severn, MD and in San Jose

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Severn, MD and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,441 per month in Severn, MD vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Severn, MD $2,441
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,690 per month in Severn, MD vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Severn, MD $3,690
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $4,939 per month in Severn, MD vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Severn, MD $4,939
San Jose $4,054

Severn, MD costs about 16% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Severn, MD and San Jose sit above the global median – Severn, MD by 81%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.74 $17.74

$12.37 ₡5,563

43.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.8 $95.8

$62.4 ₡28.0K

53.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 $10.62

$11.71 ₡5,264

-9.31%

Cappuccino

$5.23 $5.23

$4.54 ₡2,040

15.20%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$2.75 ₡1,238

12.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.86 ₡837

34.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 $7.18

$3.35 ₡1,505

114.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.82 $7.82

$4.32 ₡1,944

81.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.36 ₡1,061

-52.97%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.07 ₡1,379

30.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.51 ₡1,128

68.13%

Eggs

$4.99 $4.99

$3.53 ₡1,585

41.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.73 $12.73

$10.54 ₡4,738

20.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.80 $12.80

$10.57 ₡4,754

21.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 $18.70

$13.92 ₡6,261

34.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$5.20 ₡2,338

4.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.65 ₡740

-4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$4.89 ₡2,198

-5.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$3.84 ₡1,728

25.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.91 ₡1,757

-27.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.76 ₡1,692

-25.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.12 ₡504

102.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$3.22 ₡1,447

-27.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.55 $9.55

$6.02 ₡2,706

58.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.78 $15.78

$19.84 ₡8,919

-20.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.81 ₡1,264

-7.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.65 ₡1,643

-20.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.08 ₡487

73.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.8 $55.8

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-14.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.26 ₡1,018

-19.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.78 ₡799

-24.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.68 $23.68

$7.90 ₡3,551

199.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.50 ₡673

-32.67%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-12.22%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-38.30%

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

$166 $166

$93.2 ₡41.9K

78.35%

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

$51.6 $51.6

$36.13 ₡16.2K

42.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.0 $63.0

$60.6 ₡27.2K

3.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.08 $40.08

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-41.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$14.72 $14.72

$7.67 ₡3,449

91.92%

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

$1,856 $1,856

$972 ₡436.9K

91.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

26.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 $52.1

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-26.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 $63.5

$56.7 ₡25.5K

12.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$129 ₡57.8K

-27.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$131 ₡58.8K

-14.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 $1,561

$1,170 ₡525.9K

33.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 $1,137

$943 ₡424.1K

20.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,229 $2,229

$1,984 ₡892.0K

12.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 $1,921

$1,400 ₡629.5K

37.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,703 $2,703

$2,681 ₡1.2M

0.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,518 $2,518

$2,037 ₡915.8K

23.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

8.62

-20.42%

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

Last update for Severn, MD: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Severn, MD

$1.1K 46.6%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 17% $194

Groceries & Markets

Severn, MD

$427 17.5%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 5.7% $24

Eating Out

Severn, MD

$311 12.7%

San Jose

$232 11% 25.2% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Severn, MD

$281 11.5%

San Jose

$190 9% 32.4% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Severn, MD

$145 5.9%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 20.4% $29

Getting Around

Severn, MD

$72 2.9%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 12.3% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Severn, MD

$70 2.9%

San Jose

$84 4% 21.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,561 in Severn, MD versus $1,170 in San Jose. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96 in Severn, MD versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $427 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Severn, MD

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

13:05 1:05 PM

12:05 12:05 PM

1 h behind Severn, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,231

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Severn, MD San Jose 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Severn, MD
San Jose

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

Severn, MD vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Severn, MD is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,662 per month in Severn, MD and $3,161 in San Jose. 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 $1,561 in Severn, MD.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96 in Severn, MD and $62 in San Jose. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,441 in Severn, MD and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 14% 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.