Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sioux Falls, SD and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,154 in Sioux Falls, SD, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Sioux Falls, SD outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

103

Cost of Living Index in Sioux Falls, SD
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Sioux Falls, SD Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Sioux Falls, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,154

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sioux Falls, SD 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 Sioux Falls, SD and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,154 per month in Sioux Falls, SD vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Sioux Falls, SD $2,154
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,162 per month in Sioux Falls, SD vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Sioux Falls, SD $3,162
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $4,170 per month in Sioux Falls, SD vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Sioux Falls, SD $4,170
San Jose $3,857

Sioux Falls, SD costs about 11% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sioux Falls, SD and San Jose sit above the global median – Sioux Falls, SD by 61%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.80 $11.80

$12.22 ₡5,510

-3.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$60.1 ₡27.1K

25.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 $10.02

$11.77 ₡5,305

-14.87%

Cappuccino

$4.29 $4.29

$4.30 ₡1,939

-0.23%

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

$2.65 $2.65

$2.72 ₡1,226

-2.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.84 ₡830

3.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.28 ₡1,480

23.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.62 $6.62

$4.36 ₡1,966

51.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$2.38 ₡1,074

-65.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.12 ₡1,408

-9.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.41 ₡1,086

102.49%

Eggs

$3.60 $3.60

$3.47 ₡1,564

3.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$10.57 ₡4,767

17.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$10.56 ₡4,758

-8.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 $15.60

$13.75 ₡6,196

13.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$5.04 ₡2,274

-9.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.61 ₡727

-1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.59 ₡2,069

-23.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.84 ₡1,731

-6.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.77 ₡1,700

-44.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.76 ₡1,693

-11.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.12 ₡506

83.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.20 ₡1,441

-45.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.48 $9.48

$5.84 ₡2,632

62.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 $11.10

$19.73 ₡8,897

-43.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.75 ₡1,240

-22.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.66 ₡1,650

-27.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.12 ₡503

31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.15 $30.15

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-53.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.46 ₡1,110

56.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.54 ₡692

10.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$8.46 ₡3,815

317.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.55 ₡699

-35.48%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

63.66%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-28.05%

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

$245 $245

$94.7 ₡42.7K

159.18%

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

$45.55 $45.55

$35.11 ₡15.8K

29.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 $56.3

$58.6 ₡26.4K

-3.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.12 $44.12

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-38.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.82 $34.82

$25.19 ₡11.4K

38.23%

Cinema Ticket

$12.32 $12.32

$7.83 ₡3,532

57.34%

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

$1,006 $1,006

$971 ₡437.9K

3.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,684 $7,684

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-54.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.26 $33.26

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-53.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.10 $30.10

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-45.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$129 ₡58.2K

-9.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$133 ₡60.0K

1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 $1,355

$934 ₡420.9K

45.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 $934

$770 ₡347.2K

21.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 $2,070

$1,945 ₡876.7K

6.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 $1,514

$1,316 ₡593.5K

14.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,504 $2,504

$2,277 ₡1.0M

9.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,191 $2,191

$1,795 ₡809.1K

22.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,346 $4,346

$1,006 ₡453.5K

332.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

8.62

-20.30%

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

Last update for Sioux Falls, SD: October 5, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sioux Falls, SD

$934 44.1%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 17.5% $164

Groceries & Markets

Sioux Falls, SD

$347 16.4%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 14.8% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sioux Falls, SD

$347 16.4%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 45.8% $159

Eating Out

Sioux Falls, SD

$228 10.8%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 0.2% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Sioux Falls, SD

$142 6.7%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 23.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Sioux Falls, SD

$69 3.3%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 27.7% $19

Getting Around

Sioux Falls, SD

$48 2.3%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 64.8% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,355 in Sioux Falls, SD versus $934 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.

Salaries run about 332% higher in Sioux Falls, SD, 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 $75.0 in Sioux Falls, SD versus $60.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $347 in Sioux Falls, SD vs $399 in San Jose – so Sioux Falls, SD wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sioux Falls, SD

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

05:21 5:21 AM

04:21 4:21 AM

1 h behind Sioux Falls, SD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

192,517

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 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

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Highest

Between locations

Sioux Falls, SD San Jose 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Sioux Falls, SD
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

Sioux Falls, SD vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sioux Falls, SD is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,231 per month in Sioux Falls, SD and $2,924 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Sioux Falls, SD and $60.0 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 $2,154 in Sioux Falls, SD and $1,949 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 11%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Sioux Falls, SD at $2,154. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sioux Falls, SD 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sioux Falls, SD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.