Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Summerville, SC and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $3,285 in Summerville, SC, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

159

Cost of Living Index in Summerville, SC
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Summerville, SC Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Summerville, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,285

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,285 per month in Summerville, SC vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Summerville, SC $3,285
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $4,905 per month in Summerville, SC vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Summerville, SC $4,905
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $6,524 per month in Summerville, SC vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Summerville, SC $6,524
San Jose $4,054

Summerville, SC costs about 56% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Summerville, SC and San Jose sit above the global median – Summerville, SC by 143%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.74 $17.74

$12.37 ₡5,563

43.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.1 $98.1

$62.4 ₡28.0K

57.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.24 $12.24

$11.71 ₡5,264

4.53%

Cappuccino

$6.88 $6.88

$4.54 ₡2,040

51.54%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.75 ₡1,238

17.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.86 ₡837

17.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.38 $8.38

$3.35 ₡1,505

150.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 $7.95

$4.32 ₡1,944

84.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.36 ₡1,061

-55.08%

White Bread (500g)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.07 ₡1,379

41.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$2.51 ₡1,128

168.13%

Eggs

$3.23 $3.23

$3.53 ₡1,585

-8.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.49 $15.49

$10.54 ₡4,738

46.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.35 $24.35

$10.57 ₡4,754

130.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.45 $23.45

$13.92 ₡6,261

68.46%

Apples (1kg)

$8.10 $8.10

$5.20 ₡2,338

55.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.65 ₡740

18.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.61 $8.61

$4.89 ₡2,198

76.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.79 $7.79

$3.84 ₡1,728

102.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.91 ₡1,757

-2.30%

Onion (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$3.76 ₡1,692

23.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.23 $3.23

$1.12 ₡504

188.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.22 ₡1,447

-20.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.69 $11.69

$6.02 ₡2,706

94.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.24 $13.24

$19.84 ₡8,919

-33.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.81 ₡1,264

-13.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$3.65 ₡1,643

-36.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.08 ₡487

-32.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.46 $29.46

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-54.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.26 ₡1,018

117.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.78 ₡799

-14.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.41 $34.41

$7.90 ₡3,551

335.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.50 ₡673

-39.33%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-8.07%

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

$33.2K $33.2K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-21.48%

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

$216 $216

$93.2 ₡41.9K

132.05%

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

$98.1 $98.1

$36.13 ₡16.2K

171.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.1 $85.1

$60.6 ₡27.2K

40.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.00 $34.00

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-50.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$14.94 $14.94

$7.67 ₡3,449

94.78%

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

$1,482 $1,482

$972 ₡436.9K

52.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K $22.0K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

16.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 $54.8

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-22.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 $43.22

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-23.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 $96.4

$129 ₡57.8K

-25.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$131 ₡58.8K

-10.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,176 $2,176

$1,170 ₡525.9K

86.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 $1,731

$943 ₡424.1K

83.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,745 $3,745

$1,984 ₡892.0K

88.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 $3,015

$1,400 ₡629.5K

115.33%

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)

$4,973 $4,973

$987 ₡443.6K

404.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

8.62

-22.62%

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

Last update for Summerville, SC: 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

Summerville, SC

$1.7K 52.7%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 45.5% $787

Groceries & Markets

Summerville, SC

$566 17.2%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 28.8% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Summerville, SC

$399 12.2%

San Jose

$190 9% 52.4% $209

Eating Out

Summerville, SC

$341 10.4%

San Jose

$232 11% 31.8% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Summerville, SC

$140 4.3%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 24.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Summerville, SC

$64 1.9%

San Jose

$84 4% 31.9% $20

Getting Around

Summerville, SC

$45 1.4%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 79.8% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,176 in Summerville, SC 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 Summerville, SC are about 5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Summerville, SC versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $566 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Summerville, SC

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

14:34 2:34 PM

13:34 1:34 PM

1 h behind Summerville, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,738

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 = 0.895 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Summerville, SC San Jose 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Summerville, SC
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

Summerville, SC vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Summerville, SC is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,928 per month in Summerville, SC 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 $2,176 in Summerville, SC.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Summerville, SC 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 $3,285 in Summerville, SC and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 36% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Summerville, SC at $3,285. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Summerville, SC 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.

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