Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taunton, MA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $3,317 in Taunton, MA, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Taunton, MA, United States
San Jose, Costa Rica
Taunton, MA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,317
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,107
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,317 per month in Taunton, MA vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Taunton, MA $3,317
  • San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $4,935 per month in Taunton, MA vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Taunton, MA $4,935
  • San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $6,553 per month in Taunton, MA vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Taunton, MA $6,553
  • San Jose $4,054

Taunton, MA costs about 57% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Taunton, MA and San Jose sit above the global median – Taunton, MA by 145%, San Jose by 56%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Taunton, MA
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.28 $20.28
$12.37 ₡5,563
63.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$109 $109
$62.4 ₡28.0K
74.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.64 $12.64
$11.71 ₡5,264
7.94%
Cappuccino
$5.11 $5.11
$4.54 ₡2,040
12.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 $3.01
$2.75 ₡1,238
9.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 $2.77
$1.86 ₡837
48.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.91 $7.91
$3.35 ₡1,505
136.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.14 $8.14
$4.32 ₡1,944
88.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Taunton, MA
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 $1.18
$2.36 ₡1,061
-50.00%
White Bread (500g)
$3.95 $3.95
$3.07 ₡1,379
28.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.27 $5.27
$2.51 ₡1,128
109.96%
Eggs
$4.86 $4.86
$3.53 ₡1,585
37.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.48 $15.48
$10.54 ₡4,738
46.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.97 $13.97
$10.57 ₡4,754
32.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.55 $19.55
$13.92 ₡6,261
40.45%
Apples (1kg)
$6.68 $6.68
$5.20 ₡2,338
28.46%
Banana (1kg)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.65 ₡740
7.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.40 $5.40
$4.89 ₡2,198
10.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.15 $6.15
$3.84 ₡1,728
60.16%
Potato (1kg)
$4.37 $4.37
$3.91 ₡1,757
11.76%
Onion (1kg)
$3.98 $3.98
$3.76 ₡1,692
5.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.30 $2.30
$1.12 ₡504
105.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 $1.79
$3.22 ₡1,447
-44.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.18 $13.18
$6.02 ₡2,706
118.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.55 $15.55
$19.84 ₡8,919
-21.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.24 $2.24
$2.81 ₡1,264
-20.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.87 $3.87
$3.65 ₡1,643
6.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Taunton, MA
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 $1.52
$1.08 ₡487
40.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$39.93 $39.93
$65.2 ₡29.3K
-38.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.08 $4.08
$2.26 ₡1,018
80.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.88 $1.88
$1.78 ₡799
5.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.58 $27.58
$7.90 ₡3,551
249.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.50 ₡673
-31.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$33.5K ₡15.1M
-18.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K $26.6K
$42.3K ₡19.0M
-37.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taunton, MA
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$279 $279
$93.2 ₡41.9K
199.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.8 $58.8
$36.13 ₡16.2K
62.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$86.7 $86.7
$60.6 ₡27.2K
43.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Taunton, MA
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.02 $33.02
$68.9 ₡31.0K
-52.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.94 ₡11.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.64 $14.64
$7.67 ₡3,449
90.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Taunton, MA
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,812 $1,812
$972 ₡436.9K
86.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$44.8K $44.8K
$18.9K ₡8.5M
137.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Taunton, MA
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8 $57.8
$70.6 ₡31.8K
-18.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.41 $38.41
$56.7 ₡25.5K
-32.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.6 $80.6
$129 ₡57.8K
-37.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 $102
$131 ₡58.8K
-22.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Taunton, MA
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,603 $1,603
$1,170 ₡525.9K
37.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,840 $1,840
$943 ₡424.1K
95.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,714 $2,714
$1,984 ₡892.0K
36.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,241 $3,241
$1,400 ₡629.5K
131.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,045 $3,045
$2,681 ₡1.2M
13.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,502 $3,502
$2,037 ₡915.8K
71.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Taunton, MA
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,130 $4,130
$987 ₡443.6K
318.54%
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 Taunton, MA: 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
Taunton, MA
$1.8K
San Jose
$943 48.7% $896
Groceries & Markets
Taunton, MA
$465
San Jose
$403 13.4% $62
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taunton, MA
$425
San Jose
$190 55.3% $235
Eating Out
Taunton, MA
$340
San Jose
$232 31.7% $108
Clothing & Footwear
Taunton, MA
$125
San Jose
$174 38.8% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Taunton, MA
$62
San Jose
$84 35.2% $22
Getting Around
Taunton, MA
$59
San Jose
$81 35.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,603 in Taunton, 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 Taunton, MA are about 4.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in Taunton, MA versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $465 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Taunton, MA
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
10:46 10:46 AM
09:46 9:46 AM
1 h behind Taunton, MA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
56,074
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Taunton, MA San Jose 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Taunton, 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
Taunton, MA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Jose cheaper than Taunton, MA?
Yes – Taunton, MA is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,975 per month in Taunton, MA and $3,161 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,603 in Taunton, MA.
Is eating out cheaper in Taunton, MA or in San Jose?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in Taunton, MA and $62 in San Jose. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Taunton, MA and in San Jose?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,317 in Taunton, MA and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 36% cheaper.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Taunton, MA or in San Jose?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Taunton, MA at $3,317. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taunton, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Taunton, MA or San Jose more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Taunton, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Taunton, MA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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