Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tempe, AZ and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,880 in Tempe, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Tempe, AZ
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Tempe, AZ Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Tempe, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,880

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,880 per month in Tempe, AZ vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Tempe, AZ $2,880
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $3,836 per month in Tempe, AZ vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Tempe, AZ $3,836
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $4,792 per month in Tempe, AZ vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Tempe, AZ $4,792
San Jose $3,934

Tempe, AZ costs about 49% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tempe, AZ and San Jose sit above the global median – Tempe, AZ by 113%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.77 $19.77

$12.38 ₡5,551

59.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 $81.6

$60.9 ₡27.3K

34.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 $13.17

$11.45 ₡5,135

15.02%

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$4.39 ₡1,967

19.59%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$2.70 ₡1,211

14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.93 ₡864

26.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 $6.01

$3.20 ₡1,433

87.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 $7.17

$4.41 ₡1,979

62.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.44 ₡1,093

-60.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.05 ₡1,369

37.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.19 $6.19

$2.41 ₡1,081

156.85%

Eggs

$4.68 $4.68

$3.40 ₡1,523

37.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$10.75 ₡4,823

26.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.44 $13.44

$10.43 ₡4,679

28.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$13.99 ₡6,273

24.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$5.25 ₡2,353

1.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.59 ₡712

23.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$4.69 ₡2,103

-12.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.95 ₡1,770

25.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.92 ₡1,760

-35.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.68 ₡1,651

-18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.12 ₡503

98.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$3.19 ₡1,429

-28.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 $10.89

$6.00 ₡2,692

81.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 $13.65

$19.56 ₡8,771

-30.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.82 ₡1,263

-14.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.59 ₡1,611

-12.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.12 ₡503

73.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 $64.4

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-3.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.50 ₡1,119

13.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.63 ₡733

-15.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.42 $35.42

$8.50 ₡3,812

316.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.56 ₡701

-25.00%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

63.95%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-27.57%

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

$240 $240

$95.2 ₡42.7K

152.46%

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

$61.4 $61.4

$35.58 ₡16.0K

72.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.0 $78.0

$58.6 ₡26.3K

33.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 $30.16

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-58.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.16 $15.16

$24.85 ₡11.1K

-38.99%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 $13.80

$7.58 ₡3,401

82.06%

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

$1,107 $1,107

$1,001 ₡449.0K

10.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K $15.4K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-10.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 $62.6

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-11.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.61 $44.61

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-20.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 $98.4

$130 ₡58.2K

-24.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$131 ₡58.7K

-13.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,894 $1,894

$927 ₡415.8K

104.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 $1,460

$774 ₡347.2K

88.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$1,967 ₡882.0K

29.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 $1,683

$1,288 ₡577.6K

30.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,960 $3,960

$1,016 ₡455.8K

289.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

8.62

-24.59%

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

Last update for Tempe, AZ: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tempe, AZ

$1.5K 50.7%

San Jose

$774 40% 47% $686

Groceries & Markets

Tempe, AZ

$431 15%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 6.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tempe, AZ

$380 13.2%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 50.1% $190

Eating Out

Tempe, AZ

$327 11.4%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 29.9% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Tempe, AZ

$143 5%

San Jose

$174 9% 21.6% $31

Getting Around

Tempe, AZ

$82 2.8%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 0.2% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Tempe, AZ

$58 2%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 52.1% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,894 in Tempe, AZ versus $927 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 290% higher in Tempe, AZ, 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 $82.0 in Tempe, AZ versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $401 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tempe, AZ

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

15:02 3:02 PM

1 h ahead of Tempe, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

161,719

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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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

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Between locations

Tempe, AZ San Jose 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Tempe, AZ
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

Tempe, AZ vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tempe, AZ is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,320 per month in Tempe, AZ and $2,907 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Tempe, AZ and $61.0 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 $2,880 in Tempe, AZ and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 49%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Tempe, AZ at $2,880. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tempe, AZ 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tempe, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.