Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerville, MA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $3,834 in Somerville, MA, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

186

Cost of Living Index in Somerville, MA
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Somerville, MA Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Somerville, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,834

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,834 per month in Somerville, MA vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Somerville, MA $3,834
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $5,550 per month in Somerville, MA vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Somerville, MA $5,550
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $7,266 per month in Somerville, MA vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Somerville, MA $7,266
San Jose $4,054

Somerville, MA costs about 82% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Somerville, MA and San Jose sit above the global median – Somerville, MA by 184%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.15 $25.15

$12.37 ₡5,563

103.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.5 $92.5

$62.4 ₡28.0K

48.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.58 $14.58

$11.71 ₡5,264

24.51%

Cappuccino

$5.57 $5.57

$4.54 ₡2,040

22.69%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$2.75 ₡1,238

6.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.86 ₡837

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 $7.98

$3.35 ₡1,505

138.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.78 $7.78

$4.32 ₡1,944

80.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.36 ₡1,061

-55.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.07 ₡1,379

23.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.51 ₡1,128

117.13%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$3.53 ₡1,585

33.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$10.54 ₡4,738

48.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.00 $14.00

$10.57 ₡4,754

32.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.85 $17.85

$13.92 ₡6,261

28.23%

Apples (1kg)

$6.53 $6.53

$5.20 ₡2,338

25.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.65 ₡740

27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$4.89 ₡2,198

8.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.84 ₡1,728

69.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.91 ₡1,757

-45.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.76 ₡1,692

-40.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.12 ₡504

104.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$3.22 ₡1,447

-69.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.45 $13.45

$6.02 ₡2,706

123.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 $15.27

$19.84 ₡8,919

-23.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.81 ₡1,264

-26.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.65 ₡1,643

3.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.08 ₡487

126.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 $90.2

$65.2 ₡29.3K

38.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.26 ₡1,018

67.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.78 ₡799

38.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.96 $31.96

$7.90 ₡3,551

304.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.50 ₡673

-30.67%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-9.53%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-37.15%

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

$238 $238

$93.2 ₡41.9K

155.35%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$36.13 ₡16.2K

105.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.5 $75.5

$60.6 ₡27.2K

24.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$68.9 ₡31.0K

66.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$16.12 $16.12

$7.67 ₡3,449

110.17%

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

$1,828 $1,828

$972 ₡436.9K

88.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.8K $43.8K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

132.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.95 $48.95

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-30.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.02 $39.02

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-31.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$129 ₡57.8K

-20.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$131 ₡58.8K

16.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,436 $3,436

$1,170 ₡525.9K

193.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,202 $2,202

$943 ₡424.1K

133.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,861 $6,861

$1,984 ₡892.0K

245.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,666 $3,666

$1,400 ₡629.5K

161.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,596 $9,596

$2,681 ₡1.2M

257.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,463 $6,463

$2,037 ₡915.8K

217.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,239 $5,239

$987 ₡443.6K

431.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

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

Last update for Somerville, MA: 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

Somerville, MA

$2.2K 57.4%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 57.2% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Somerville, MA

$439 11.5%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 8.3% $36

Eating Out

Somerville, MA

$388 10.1%

San Jose

$232 11% 40.1% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Somerville, MA

$388 10.1%

San Jose

$190 9% 51% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Somerville, MA

$154 4%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 13.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Somerville, MA

$147 3.8%

San Jose

$84 4% 42.8% $63

Getting Around

Somerville, MA

$116 3%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 30.5% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,436 in Somerville, MA 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.

Salaries in Somerville, MA are about 5.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92 in Somerville, MA versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Somerville, MA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

08:39 8:39 AM

07:39 7:39 AM

1 h behind Somerville, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,754

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

Somerville, MA San Jose 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Somerville, MA
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

Somerville, MA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Somerville, MA is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,751 per month in Somerville, MA 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 $3,436 in Somerville, MA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92 in Somerville, MA 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 $3,834 in Somerville, MA and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 45% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Somerville, MA at $3,834. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Somerville, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $2,107 versus $3,834 in Somerville, MA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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