Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suffolk, VA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,204 in Suffolk, VA, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Suffolk, VA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

105

Cost of Living Index in Suffolk, VA
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Suffolk, VA Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Suffolk, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,204

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,204 per month in Suffolk, VA vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Suffolk, VA $2,204
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,199 per month in Suffolk, VA vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Suffolk, VA $3,199
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $4,195 per month in Suffolk, VA vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Suffolk, VA $4,195
San Jose $4,054

Suffolk, VA costs about 5% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Suffolk, VA and San Jose sit above the global median – Suffolk, VA by 63%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$12.37 ₡5,563

63.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 $80.5

$62.4 ₡28.0K

29.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$11.71 ₡5,264

3.67%

Cappuccino

$4.56 $4.56

$4.54 ₡2,040

0.44%

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

$1.98 $1.98

$2.75 ₡1,238

-28.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.86 ₡837

5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.35 ₡1,505

20.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 $5.37

$4.32 ₡1,944

24.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.36 ₡1,061

-56.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 $2.28

$3.07 ₡1,379

-25.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.51 ₡1,128

5.18%

Eggs

$3.90 $3.90

$3.53 ₡1,585

10.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.10 $16.10

$10.54 ₡4,738

52.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$10.57 ₡4,754

-47.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$13.92 ₡6,261

24.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$5.20 ₡2,338

-23.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.65 ₡740

-32.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$4.89 ₡2,198

-60.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.84 ₡1,728

13.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.91 ₡1,757

-31.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.76 ₡1,692

-43.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.12 ₡504

46.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.22 ₡1,447

-1.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.36 $9.36

$6.02 ₡2,706

55.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 $14.28

$19.84 ₡8,919

-28.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.81 ₡1,264

-37.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.65 ₡1,643

3.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.26 ₡1,018

115.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.78 ₡799

-7.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.88 $24.88

$7.90 ₡3,551

214.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.50 ₡673

-43.33%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-8.63%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-39.15%

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

$147 $147

$93.2 ₡41.9K

58.20%

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

$51.9 $51.9

$36.13 ₡16.2K

43.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.4 $81.4

$60.6 ₡27.2K

34.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$7.67 ₡3,449

92.18%

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

$886 $886

$972 ₡436.9K

-8.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K $32.6K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

72.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.37 $47.37

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-32.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.44 $47.44

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-16.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 $99.9

$129 ₡57.8K

-22.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$131 ₡58.8K

4.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 $1,215

$1,170 ₡525.9K

3.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 $1,086

$943 ₡424.1K

15.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 $2,012

$1,984 ₡892.0K

1.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,648 $1,648

$1,400 ₡629.5K

17.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,742 $4,742

$987 ₡443.6K

380.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

8.62

-34.11%

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

Last update for Suffolk, VA: October 31, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Suffolk, VA

$1.1K 49.3%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 13.2% $143

Groceries & Markets

Suffolk, VA

$345 15.7%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 16.6% $57

Eating Out

Suffolk, VA

$300 13.6%

San Jose

$232 11% 22.4% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suffolk, VA

$281 12.7%

San Jose

$190 9% 32.4% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Suffolk, VA

$149 6.8%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 16.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Suffolk, VA

$29 * 1.3%

San Jose

$84 4% 186% $55

Getting Around

Suffolk, VA

$13 * 0.6%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 515% $68

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,215 in Suffolk, VA 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 Suffolk, VA are about 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Suffolk, VA versus $62 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Suffolk, VA vs $403 in San Jose – so Suffolk, VA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Suffolk, VA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

04:19 4:19 AM

03:19 3:19 AM

1 h behind Suffolk, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

94,324

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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Highest

Between locations

Suffolk, VA San Jose 3,070 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Suffolk, VA
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

Suffolk, VA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Suffolk, VA is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,305 per month in Suffolk, VA and $3,161 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,215 in Suffolk, VA and $1,170 in San Jose. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,204 in Suffolk, VA and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 4% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $886 per month in Suffolk, VA and $972 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,204 in Suffolk, VA and $2,107 in San Jose, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,204 in Suffolk, VA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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