Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Villages, FL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,253 in The Villages, FL, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in The Villages, FL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in The Villages, FL
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The Villages, FL Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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The Villages, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,253

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,253 per month in The Villages, FL vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

The Villages, FL $2,253
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,540 per month in The Villages, FL vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

The Villages, FL $3,540
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $4,828 per month in The Villages, FL vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

The Villages, FL $4,828
San Jose $4,054

The Villages, FL costs about 7% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both The Villages, FL and San Jose sit above the global median – The Villages, FL by 67%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.07 $12.07

$12.37 ₡5,546

-2.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 $76.2

$62.4 ₡28.0K

22.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.63 $8.63

$11.71 ₡5,248

-26.30%

Cappuccino

$4.46 $4.46

$4.54 ₡2,034

-1.76%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$2.75 ₡1,234

-10.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.86 ₡835

31.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$3.35 ₡1,501

50.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 $6.98

$4.32 ₡1,938

61.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.36 ₡1,057

-55.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.07 ₡1,375

13.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.51 ₡1,124

77.69%

Eggs

$4.12 $4.12

$3.53 ₡1,580

16.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 $12.36

$10.54 ₡4,724

17.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.76 $11.76

$10.57 ₡4,740

11.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.41 $18.41

$13.92 ₡6,242

32.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$5.20 ₡2,331

-1.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.65 ₡738

-21.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$4.89 ₡2,191

-12.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.84 ₡1,722

24.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.91 ₡1,752

-21.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.76 ₡1,687

-16.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.12 ₡503

94.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$3.22 ₡1,443

-27.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.12 $9.12

$6.02 ₡2,698

51.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$19.84 ₡8,892

-25.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.81 ₡1,261

-20.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.65 ₡1,638

-19.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.08 ₡485

87.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.1 $51.1

$65.2 ₡29.2K

-21.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 $3.70

$2.26 ₡1,015

63.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.78 ₡797

-2.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.89 $30.89

$7.90 ₡3,540

291.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.50 ₡671

-46.00%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$33.5K ₡15.0M

-21.89%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-41.56%

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

$197 $197

$93.2 ₡41.8K

111.87%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$36.13 ₡16.2K

64.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 $69.6

$60.6 ₡27.2K

14.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.45 $40.45

$68.9 ₡30.9K

-41.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$13.81 $13.81

$7.67 ₡3,439

80.05%

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

$1,353 $1,353

$972 ₡435.6K

39.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K $21.8K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

15.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$70.6 ₡31.7K

-24.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.26 $42.26

$56.7 ₡25.4K

-25.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 $96.2

$129 ₡57.7K

-25.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$131 ₡58.7K

-18.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 $1,450

$1,170 ₡524.3K

24.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 $1,014

$943 ₡422.8K

7.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,755 $2,755

$1,984 ₡889.3K

38.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,089 $2,089

$1,400 ₡627.6K

49.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 $2,805

$2,681 ₡1.2M

4.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,369 $2,369

$2,037 ₡913.0K

16.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,529 $6,529

$987 ₡442.3K

561.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.47

8.62

-24.94%

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

Last update for The Villages, FL: 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

The Villages, FL

$1K 45%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 6.9% $70

Groceries & Markets

The Villages, FL

$404 17.9%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 0.3% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

The Villages, FL

$326 14.5%

San Jose

$190 9% 41.8% $136

Eating Out

The Villages, FL

$235 10.4%

San Jose

$232 11% 1% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

The Villages, FL

$134 6%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 29.7% $40

Getting Around

The Villages, FL

$72 3.2%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 12.8% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

The Villages, FL

$68 3%

San Jose

$84 4% 23.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,450 in The Villages, FL 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 The Villages, FL are about 6.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in The Villages, FL versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 The Villages, FL

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

19:22 7:22 PM

18:22 6:22 PM

1 h behind The Villages, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,077

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 2 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 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 501 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

The Villages, FL San Jose 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

The Villages, FL
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

The Villages, FL vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – The Villages, FL is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,379 per month in The Villages, FL 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 $1,450 in The Villages, FL.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,253 in The Villages, FL and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 6% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,353 per month in The Villages, FL and $972 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,253 in The Villages, FL and $2,107 in San Jose, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, The Villages, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.