Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Terre Haute, IN and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Terre Haute, IN: $1,905 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Terre Haute, IN, United States
San Jose, Costa Rica
Terre Haute, IN
🇺🇸 United States
$1,905
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,107
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,905 per month in Terre Haute, IN vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Terre Haute, IN $1,905
  • San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $2,779 per month in Terre Haute, IN vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Terre Haute, IN $2,779
  • San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $3,652 per month in Terre Haute, IN vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Terre Haute, IN $3,652
  • San Jose $4,054

Terre Haute, IN is about 10% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Terre Haute, IN and San Jose sit above the global median – Terre Haute, IN by 41%, San Jose by 56%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Terre Haute, IN
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.05 $17.05
$12.37 ₡5,563
37.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.9 $55.9
$62.4 ₡28.0K
-10.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.91 $8.91
$11.71 ₡5,264
-23.91%
Cappuccino
$5.04 $5.04
$4.54 ₡2,040
11.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 $2.68
$2.75 ₡1,238
-2.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 $2.11
$1.86 ₡837
13.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.94 $4.94
$3.35 ₡1,505
47.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.08 $6.08
$4.32 ₡1,944
40.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Terre Haute, IN
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.71 $0.71
$2.36 ₡1,061
-69.92%
White Bread (500g)
$1.95 $1.95
$3.07 ₡1,379
-36.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.41 $2.41
$2.51 ₡1,128
-3.98%
Eggs
$3.27 $3.27
$3.53 ₡1,585
-7.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.41 $10.41
$10.54 ₡4,738
-1.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.31 $13.31
$10.57 ₡4,754
25.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.77 $11.77
$13.92 ₡6,261
-15.45%
Apples (1kg)
$5.34 $5.34
$5.20 ₡2,338
2.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 $1.55
$1.65 ₡740
-6.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.38 $3.38
$4.89 ₡2,198
-30.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.95 $4.95
$3.84 ₡1,728
28.91%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 $2.00
$3.91 ₡1,757
-48.85%
Onion (1kg)
$2.46 $2.46
$3.76 ₡1,692
-34.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.12 ₡504
74.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 $1.94
$3.22 ₡1,447
-39.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.98 $7.98
$6.02 ₡2,706
32.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.36 $12.36
$19.84 ₡8,919
-37.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 $1.92
$2.81 ₡1,264
-31.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 $2.44
$3.65 ₡1,643
-33.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Terre Haute, IN
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.59 $0.59
$1.08 ₡487
-45.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$65.2 ₡29.3K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.34 $3.34
$2.26 ₡1,018
47.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.78 ₡799
-1.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.61 $24.61
$7.90 ₡3,551
211.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.84 $0.84
$1.50 ₡673
-44.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K $35.4K
$33.5K ₡15.1M
5.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K $26.5K
$42.3K ₡19.0M
-37.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Terre Haute, IN
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$190 $190
$93.2 ₡41.9K
103.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$42.81 $42.81
$36.13 ₡16.2K
18.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.0 $61.0
$60.6 ₡27.2K
0.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Terre Haute, IN
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.42 $25.42
$68.9 ₡31.0K
-63.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.94 ₡11.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.67 $11.67
$7.67 ₡3,449
52.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Terre Haute, IN
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,799 $1,799
$972 ₡436.9K
85.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$40.3K $40.3K
$18.9K ₡8.5M
113.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Terre Haute, IN
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.32 $40.32
$70.6 ₡31.8K
-42.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.2 $51.2
$56.7 ₡25.5K
-9.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 $105
$129 ₡57.8K
-18.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$63.6 $63.6
$131 ₡58.8K
-51.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Terre Haute, IN
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$850 $850
$1,170 ₡525.9K
-27.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$814 $814
$943 ₡424.1K
-13.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,297 $1,297
$1,984 ₡892.0K
-34.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,307 $1,307
$1,400 ₡629.5K
-6.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,244 $1,244
$2,681 ₡1.2M
-53.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,231 $1,231
$2,037 ₡915.8K
-39.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Terre Haute, IN
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,296 $3,296
$987 ₡443.6K
234.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.66
8.62
-22.74%

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

Last update for Terre Haute, IN: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Terre Haute, IN
$814
San Jose
$943 15.8% $129
Groceries & Markets
Terre Haute, IN
$338
San Jose
$403 19.2% $65
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Terre Haute, IN
$293
San Jose
$190 35.3% $104
Eating Out
Terre Haute, IN
$280
San Jose
$232 16.9% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Terre Haute, IN
$117
San Jose
$174 48.9% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Terre Haute, IN
$49
San Jose
$84 72.8% $36
Getting Around
Terre Haute, IN
$15 *
San Jose
$81 455% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $850 in Terre Haute, IN 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 Terre Haute, IN are about 3.3 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Terre Haute, IN versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $403 – making Terre Haute, IN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Terre Haute, IN
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
17:02 5:02 PM
16:02 4:02 PM
1 h behind Terre Haute, IN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
57,259
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 = 0.895 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Terre Haute, IN San Jose 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Terre Haute, IN
  • 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
Terre Haute, IN vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Terre Haute, IN cheaper than San Jose?
Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,858 per month in Terre Haute, IN 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 Terre Haute, IN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $850 there versus $1,170 in San Jose.
What are total monthly expenses in Terre Haute, IN and in San Jose?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,905 in Terre Haute, IN and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes Terre Haute, IN about 10% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,799 per month in Terre Haute, IN and $972 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is it better to live in Terre Haute, IN or in San Jose?
It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,905 in Terre Haute, IN to $2,107 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Terre Haute, IN vs other spots: cost of living compared

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