Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Topeka, KS and San Jose

For one person, living costs are similar in Topeka, KS and in San Jose: $1,922 and $1,938 a month, rent and utilities included.

94

Cost of Living Index in Topeka, KS
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Topeka, KS Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Topeka, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,922

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,922 per month in Topeka, KS vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Topeka, KS $1,922
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $2,865 per month in Topeka, KS vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Topeka, KS $2,865
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $3,807 per month in Topeka, KS vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Topeka, KS $3,807
San Jose $3,934

Topeka, KS is about 1% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Topeka, KS and San Jose sit above the global median – Topeka, KS by 42%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.47 $13.47

$12.38 ₡5,551

8.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 $51.7

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-15.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 $9.87

$11.45 ₡5,135

-13.80%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$4.39 ₡1,967

-22.55%

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

$2.26 $2.26

$2.70 ₡1,211

-16.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.93 ₡864

-10.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.20 ₡1,433

40.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$4.41 ₡1,979

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$2.44 ₡1,093

-66.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.05 ₡1,369

-12.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.41 ₡1,081

24.07%

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$3.40 ₡1,523

16.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 $8.99

$10.75 ₡4,823

-16.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 $8.24

$10.43 ₡4,679

-21.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.74 $14.74

$13.99 ₡6,273

5.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$5.25 ₡2,353

-11.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.59 ₡712

-1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.69 ₡2,103

9.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.95 ₡1,770

6.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.92 ₡1,760

-13.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.68 ₡1,651

-31.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.12 ₡503

64.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 $0.84

$3.19 ₡1,429

-73.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.85 $8.85

$6.00 ₡2,692

47.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 $12.23

$19.56 ₡8,771

-37.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.82 ₡1,263

-34.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.59 ₡1,611

-54.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.12 ₡503

258.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 $50.3

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-24.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.50 ₡1,119

10.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.63 ₡733

-3.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.70 $33.70

$8.50 ₡3,812

296.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.56 ₡701

-39.74%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

7.09%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-29.85%

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

$143 $143

$95.2 ₡42.7K

50.48%

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

$48.04 $48.04

$35.58 ₡16.0K

35.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 $66.0

$58.6 ₡26.3K

12.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.74 $44.74

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-38.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.30 $15.30

$24.85 ₡11.1K

-38.43%

Cinema Ticket

$15.25 $15.25

$7.58 ₡3,401

101.19%

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

$438 $438

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-56.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.30 $38.30

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-45.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.87 $28.87

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-48.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 $88.8

$130 ₡58.2K

-31.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 $80.8

$131 ₡58.7K

-38.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$790 $790

$927 ₡415.8K

-14.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 $853

$774 ₡347.2K

10.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 $1,302

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-33.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 $1,467

$1,288 ₡577.6K

13.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,292 $1,292

$2,274 ₡1.0M

-43.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,342 $1,342

$1,831 ₡821.0K

-26.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,554 $3,554

$1,016 ₡455.8K

249.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

8.62

-27.61%

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

Last update for Topeka, KS: 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

Topeka, KS

$853 44.4%

San Jose

$774 40% 9.2% $78

Groceries & Markets

Topeka, KS

$319 16.6%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 25.6% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Topeka, KS

$257 13.4%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 26.4% $68

Eating Out

Topeka, KS

$234 12.2%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 2.1% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Topeka, KS

$107 5.5%

San Jose

$174 9% 63.4% $68

Getting Around

Topeka, KS

$77 4%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 6.4% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Topeka, KS

$75 3.9%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 16.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $790 in Topeka, KS 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 250% higher in Topeka, KS, 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 $52.0 in Topeka, KS versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $319 vs $401 – making Topeka, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Topeka, KS

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

11:15 11:15 AM

10:15 10:15 AM

1 h behind Topeka, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,331

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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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Highest

Between locations

Topeka, KS San Jose 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Topeka, KS
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

Topeka, KS vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,883 per month in Topeka, KS 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 Topeka, KS, 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 $52.0 in Topeka, KS 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 $1,922 in Topeka, KS and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 1%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Topeka, KS, where all-in costs run around $1,922, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Topeka, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Topeka, KS – 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 Topeka, KS. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.