Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerset, NJ and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $3,920 in Somerset, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

189

Cost of Living Index in Somerset, NJ
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Somerset, NJ Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Somerset, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,920

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,920 per month in Somerset, NJ vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Somerset, NJ $3,920
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $4,374 per month in Somerset, NJ vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Somerset, NJ $4,374
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $4,829 per month in Somerset, NJ vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Somerset, NJ $4,829
San Jose $4,054

Somerset, NJ costs about 86% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Somerset, NJ and San Jose sit above the global median – Somerset, NJ by 190%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.34 $18.34

$12.37 ₡5,563

48.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.49 $39.49

$62.4 ₡28.0K

-36.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 $8.21

$11.71 ₡5,264

-29.89%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$4.54 ₡2,040

11.89%

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

$1.99 $1.99

$2.75 ₡1,238

-27.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.86 ₡837

-17.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.76 $7.76

$3.35 ₡1,505

131.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 $7.02

$4.32 ₡1,944

62.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.36 ₡1,061

-46.61%

White Bread (500g)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.07 ₡1,379

45.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$2.51 ₡1,128

142.63%

Eggs

$2.01 $2.01

$3.53 ₡1,585

-43.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.45 $13.45

$10.54 ₡4,738

27.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 $10.42

$10.57 ₡4,754

-1.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.72 $19.72

$13.92 ₡6,261

41.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$5.20 ₡2,338

14.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.65 ₡740

111.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$4.89 ₡2,198

-13.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$3.84 ₡1,728

34.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.91 ₡1,757

-23.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.76 ₡1,692

-21.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.12 ₡504

120.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.22 ₡1,447

-5.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.07 $15.07

$6.02 ₡2,706

150.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$19.84 ₡8,919

-25.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.81 ₡1,264

-34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.65 ₡1,643

-1.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.08 ₡487

70.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.2 $55.2

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-15.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.26 ₡1,018

34.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.78 ₡799

22.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.09 $42.09

$7.90 ₡3,551

432.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.50 ₡673

-24.00%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-18.94%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-37.89%

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

$170 $170

$93.2 ₡41.9K

82.15%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$36.13 ₡16.2K

41.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.44 $49.44

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-18.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.64 $40.64

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-41.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$20.47 $20.47

$7.67 ₡3,449

166.88%

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

$1,721 $1,721

$972 ₡436.9K

77.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K $20.3K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

7.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-27.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.79 $41.79

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-26.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 $88.1

$129 ₡57.8K

-31.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$131 ₡58.8K

-21.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 $1,597

$1,170 ₡525.9K

36.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,623 $2,623

$943 ₡424.1K

178.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,582 $2,582

$1,984 ₡892.0K

30.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 $2,096

$1,400 ₡629.5K

49.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,814 $2,814

$2,681 ₡1.2M

4.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,305 $2,305

$2,037 ₡915.8K

13.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

8.62

-22.04%

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

Last update for Somerset, NJ: November 3, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Somerset, NJ

$2.6K 66.9%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 64% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Somerset, NJ

$442 11.3%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 8.9% $39

Eating Out

Somerset, NJ

$299 7.6%

San Jose

$232 11% 22.3% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Somerset, NJ

$270 6.9%

San Jose

$190 9% 29.7% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Somerset, NJ

$128 3.3%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 36.3% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Somerset, NJ

$82 2.1%

San Jose

$84 4% 3.3% $2.7

Getting Around

Somerset, NJ

$76 2%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 5.5% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,597 in Somerset, NJ 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 $39 in Somerset, NJ versus $62 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $442 in Somerset, NJ vs $403 in San Jose – so San Jose wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Somerset, NJ

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

11:59 11:59 AM

10:59 10:59 AM

1 h behind Somerset, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,924

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

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Between locations

Somerset, NJ San Jose 3,530 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Somerset, NJ
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

Somerset, NJ vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Somerset, NJ is pricier by about 86%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,880 per month in Somerset, NJ 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 $1,597 in Somerset, NJ.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Somerset, NJ 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 $3,920 in Somerset, NJ and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 46% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Somerset, NJ at $3,920. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Somerset, NJ 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.