Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taylor, TX and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,374 in Taylor, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Taylor, TX
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Taylor, TX Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Taylor, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,374

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,374 per month in Taylor, TX vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Taylor, TX $2,374
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,369 per month in Taylor, TX vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Taylor, TX $3,369
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,363 per month in Taylor, TX vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Taylor, TX $4,363
San Jose $3,929

Taylor, TX costs about 23% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Taylor, TX and San Jose sit above the global median – Taylor, TX by 75%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.98 $19.98

$12.29 ₡5,513

62.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$62.3 ₡27.9K

22.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 $11.65

$11.53 ₡5,171

1.04%

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$4.35 ₡1,953

20.00%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$2.64 ₡1,183

-1.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.86 ₡836

5.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.32 ₡1,490

82.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 $7.19

$4.52 ₡2,026

59.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.39 ₡1,073

-56.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.08 ₡1,381

16.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.50 ₡1,119

74.80%

Eggs

$4.19 $4.19

$3.48 ₡1,562

20.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 $12.55

$10.74 ₡4,815

16.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.65 $11.65

$10.32 ₡4,629

12.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$14.10 ₡6,325

22.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$5.03 ₡2,256

-2.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.59 ₡714

-0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$4.84 ₡2,171

-8.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.96 ₡1,776

19.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.76 ₡1,684

-25.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.73 ₡1,674

-22.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.08 ₡485

97.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$3.25 ₡1,456

-29.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 $10.35

$5.86 ₡2,627

76.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$20.28 ₡9,095

-24.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.90 ₡1,300

-31.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.73 ₡1,673

-12.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.08 ₡486

61.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.50 ₡1,123

32.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.63 ₡732

15.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.09 $27.09

$8.71 ₡3,904

211.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.58 ₡709

-41.14%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-16.20%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-36.97%

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

$198 $198

$93.7 ₡42.0K

111.07%

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

$57.4 $57.4

$35.42 ₡15.9K

61.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$60.0 ₡26.9K

15.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.61 $41.61

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-42.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$13.98 $13.98

$7.74 ₡3,471

80.62%

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

$1,429 $1,429

$1,005 ₡450.9K

42.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K $26.0K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

53.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 $52.3

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-28.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.42 $41.42

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-25.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 $88.6

$128 ₡57.5K

-30.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$130 ₡58.5K

-13.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 $1,249

$932 ₡418.0K

33.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 $1,107

$760 ₡340.8K

45.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 $1,758

$1,922 ₡862.0K

-8.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 $1,559

$1,276 ₡572.1K

22.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,766 $2,766

$2,301 ₡1.0M

20.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,375 $2,375

$1,833 ₡821.9K

29.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,365 $2,365

$1,029 ₡461.3K

129.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for Taylor, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taylor, TX

$1.1K 46.6%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 31.3% $347

Groceries & Markets

Taylor, TX

$401 16.9%

San Jose

$403 21% 0.6% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taylor, TX

$324 13.7%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 41.7% $135

Eating Out

Taylor, TX

$320 13.5%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 28.6% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Taylor, TX

$133 5.6%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 31.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Taylor, TX

$70 2.9%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 26.6% $18

Getting Around

Taylor, TX

$20 * 0.8%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 307% $61

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,249 in Taylor, TX versus $932 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 run about 130% higher in Taylor, TX, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Taylor, TX versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in Taylor, TX vs $403 in San Jose – so Taylor, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Taylor, TX

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

08:53 8:53 AM

07:53 7:53 AM

1 h behind Taylor, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,240

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Taylor, TX San Jose 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Taylor, TX
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

Taylor, TX vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Taylor, TX is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,561 per month in Taylor, TX and $2,886 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,374 in Taylor, TX and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 23%.

Kindergarten costs $1,429 per month in Taylor, TX and $1,005 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 $1,924, than in Taylor, TX at $2,374. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taylor, TX 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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