Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Summit, NJ and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $3,876 in Summit, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

187

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Summit, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,876

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,876 per month in Summit, NJ vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Summit, NJ $3,876
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $6,026 per month in Summit, NJ vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Summit, NJ $6,026
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $8,176 per month in Summit, NJ vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Summit, NJ $8,176
San Jose $4,054

Summit, NJ costs about 84% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Summit, NJ and San Jose sit above the global median – Summit, NJ by 187%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.87 $24.87

$12.37 ₡5,563

101.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.4 $98.4

$62.4 ₡28.0K

57.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 $10.83

$11.71 ₡5,264

-7.51%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$4.54 ₡2,040

19.16%

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

$2.12 $2.12

$2.75 ₡1,238

-22.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.86 ₡837

-18.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.22 $8.22

$3.35 ₡1,505

145.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.17 $8.17

$4.32 ₡1,944

89.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.36 ₡1,061

-45.76%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$3.07 ₡1,379

35.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$2.51 ₡1,128

148.21%

Eggs

$5.98 $5.98

$3.53 ₡1,585

69.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.22 $14.22

$10.54 ₡4,738

34.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.16 $10.16

$10.57 ₡4,754

-3.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 $17.43

$13.92 ₡6,261

25.22%

Apples (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$5.20 ₡2,338

17.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.65 ₡740

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$4.89 ₡2,198

-11.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$3.84 ₡1,728

37.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.91 ₡1,757

-22.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.76 ₡1,692

-2.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.12 ₡504

172.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.22 ₡1,447

-8.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.58 $11.58

$6.02 ₡2,706

92.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.21 $20.21

$19.84 ₡8,919

1.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.81 ₡1,264

-37.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.65 ₡1,643

47.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.26 ₡1,018

35.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.78 ₡799

12.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.36 $24.36

$7.90 ₡3,551

208.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.50 ₡673

-24.67%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-16.57%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-37.84%

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

$211 $211

$93.2 ₡41.9K

126.11%

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

$60.5 $60.5

$36.13 ₡16.2K

67.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 $50.5

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-16.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.4 $79.4

$68.9 ₡31.0K

15.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$15.04 $15.04

$7.67 ₡3,449

96.09%

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

$1,716 $1,716

$972 ₡436.9K

76.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K $20.7K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

9.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.51 $41.51

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-41.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 $57.3

$56.7 ₡25.5K

1.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 $76.3

$129 ₡57.8K

-40.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$131 ₡58.8K

-7.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,777 $2,777

$1,170 ₡525.9K

137.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,471 $2,471

$943 ₡424.1K

162.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,498 $5,498

$1,984 ₡892.0K

177.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,968 $4,968

$1,400 ₡629.5K

254.82%

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)

$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 Summit, NJ: 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

Summit, NJ

$2.5K 63.8%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 61.8% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Summit, NJ

$458 11.8%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 12.1% $56

Eating Out

Summit, NJ

$368 9.5%

San Jose

$232 11% 36.9% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Summit, NJ

$322 8.3%

San Jose

$190 9% 41% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Summit, NJ

$134 3.4%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 30.4% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Summit, NJ

$110 2.8%

San Jose

$84 4% 23% $25

Getting Around

Summit, NJ

$13 * 0.3%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 519% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,777 in Summit, 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 $98 in Summit, NJ versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Summit, NJ

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

03:03 3:03 AM

02:03 2:03 AM

1 h behind Summit, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,161

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

Summit, NJ San Jose 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Summit, 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

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

Yes – Summit, NJ is pricier by about 84%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,814 per month in Summit, 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 $2,777 in Summit, NJ.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,876 in Summit, NJ and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 46% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,716 per month in Summit, NJ and $972 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Summit, NJ at $3,876. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Summit, 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.