Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Southbridge, MA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,538 in Southbridge, MA, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Southbridge, MA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

121

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Southbridge, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,538

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,538 per month in Southbridge, MA vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Southbridge, MA $2,538
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,804 per month in Southbridge, MA vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Southbridge, MA $3,804
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $5,071 per month in Southbridge, MA vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Southbridge, MA $5,071
San Jose $4,054

Southbridge, MA costs about 20% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Southbridge, MA and San Jose sit above the global median – Southbridge, MA by 88%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 $12.11

$12.37 ₡5,563

-2.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 $76.1

$62.4 ₡28.0K

22.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.02 $13.02

$11.71 ₡5,264

11.19%

Cappuccino

$5.07 $5.07

$4.54 ₡2,040

11.67%

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

$2.87 $2.87

$2.75 ₡1,238

4.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.86 ₡837

37.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$3.35 ₡1,505

74.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.27 $8.27

$4.32 ₡1,944

91.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.36 ₡1,061

-57.20%

White Bread (500g)

$4.66 $4.66

$3.07 ₡1,379

51.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.51 ₡1,128

77.69%

Eggs

$6.25 $6.25

$3.53 ₡1,585

77.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.63 $10.63

$10.54 ₡4,738

0.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.67 $10.67

$10.57 ₡4,754

0.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.37 $19.37

$13.92 ₡6,261

39.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$5.20 ₡2,338

7.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.65 ₡740

1.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$4.89 ₡2,198

-31.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.84 ₡1,728

-21.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.91 ₡1,757

-43.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.76 ₡1,692

-34.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.12 ₡504

141.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.22 ₡1,447

-7.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.48 $13.48

$6.02 ₡2,706

123.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.05 $17.05

$19.84 ₡8,919

-14.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.81 ₡1,264

-33.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.65 ₡1,643

-22.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.08 ₡487

102.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.7 $62.7

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-3.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.26 ₡1,018

68.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.78 ₡799

27.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.48 $48.48

$7.90 ₡3,551

513.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.50 ₡673

-30.67%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-17.73%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-37.01%

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

$195 $195

$93.2 ₡41.9K

109.55%

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

$37.49 $37.49

$36.13 ₡16.2K

3.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$60.6 ₡27.2K

0.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.82 $36.82

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-46.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$12.60 $12.60

$7.67 ₡3,449

64.28%

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

$2,114 $2,114

$972 ₡436.9K

117.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K $35.0K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

85.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.82 $37.82

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-46.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.58 $16.58

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-70.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$129 ₡57.8K

-22.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$131 ₡58.8K

-4.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 $1,629

$1,170 ₡525.9K

39.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$943 ₡424.1K

36.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,822 $2,822

$1,984 ₡892.0K

42.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,309 $2,309

$1,400 ₡629.5K

64.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,515 $2,515

$2,681 ₡1.2M

-6.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,109 $2,109

$2,037 ₡915.8K

3.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

8.62

-24.48%

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

Last update for Southbridge, MA: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Southbridge, MA

$1.3K 50.8%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 26.8% $346

Groceries & Markets

Southbridge, MA

$417 16.4%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 3.3% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Southbridge, MA

$294 11.6%

San Jose

$190 9% 35.3% $104

Eating Out

Southbridge, MA

$264 10.4%

San Jose

$232 11% 12.1% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Southbridge, MA

$126 5%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 38.6% $48

Getting Around

Southbridge, MA

$87 3.4%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 6.9% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Southbridge, MA

$62 2.4%

San Jose

$84 4% 35.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,629 in Southbridge, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Southbridge, MA versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $417 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Southbridge, MA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

23:50 11:50 PM

22:50 10:50 PM

1 h behind Southbridge, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,719

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 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 = 0.891 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

Southbridge, MA San Jose 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Southbridge, 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

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

Yes – Southbridge, MA is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,807 per month in Southbridge, 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 $1,629 in Southbridge, MA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Southbridge, 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 $2,538 in Southbridge, MA and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 17% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Southbridge, MA at $2,538. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Southbridge, MA 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.