Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulsa, OK and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,298 in Tulsa, OK, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Tulsa, OK
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Tulsa, OK Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Tulsa, OK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,298

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,298 per month in Tulsa, OK vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Tulsa, OK $2,298
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,423 per month in Tulsa, OK vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Tulsa, OK $3,423
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $4,548 per month in Tulsa, OK vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Tulsa, OK $4,548
San Jose $3,857

Tulsa, OK costs about 18% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tulsa, OK and San Jose sit above the global median – Tulsa, OK by 71%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.26 $16.26

$12.22 ₡5,510

33.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.5 $73.5

$60.1 ₡27.1K

22.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 $9.87

$11.77 ₡5,305

-16.14%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$4.30 ₡1,939

19.53%

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

$2.29 $2.29

$2.72 ₡1,226

-15.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.84 ₡830

-6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.28 ₡1,480

49.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 $6.82

$4.36 ₡1,966

56.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$2.38 ₡1,074

-53.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.12 ₡1,408

10.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$2.41 ₡1,086

138.17%

Eggs

$4.10 $4.10

$3.47 ₡1,564

18.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.99 $14.99

$10.57 ₡4,767

41.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.17 $12.17

$10.56 ₡4,758

15.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.67 $15.67

$13.75 ₡6,196

13.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$5.04 ₡2,274

-12.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.61 ₡727

7.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.59 ₡2,069

-18.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$3.84 ₡1,731

-0.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.77 ₡1,700

-28.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.76 ₡1,693

-23.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.12 ₡506

72.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$3.20 ₡1,441

-29.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.84 ₡2,632

69.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 $13.26

$19.73 ₡8,897

-32.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.75 ₡1,240

-30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 $4.66

$3.66 ₡1,650

27.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.12 ₡503

58.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.51 $44.51

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-31.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.46 ₡1,110

-19.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.54 ₡692

-21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.71 $29.71

$8.46 ₡3,815

251.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.55 ₡699

-40.00%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

63.26%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-27.80%

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

$241 $241

$94.7 ₡42.7K

154.85%

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

$70.6 $70.6

$35.11 ₡15.8K

101.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 $64.6

$58.6 ₡26.4K

10.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.08 $48.08

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-33.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.81 $19.81

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-21.36%

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 $14.71

$7.83 ₡3,532

87.87%

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

$1,156 $1,156

$971 ₡437.9K

18.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K $25.6K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

50.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.5 $74.5

$71.6 ₡32.3K

4.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.6 $62.6

$54.9 ₡24.7K

14.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$129 ₡58.2K

-5.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$133 ₡60.0K

11.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 $1,250

$934 ₡420.9K

33.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$911 $911

$770 ₡347.2K

18.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 $2,023

$1,945 ₡876.7K

4.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 $1,515

$1,316 ₡593.5K

15.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,798 $1,798

$2,277 ₡1.0M

-21.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,688 $1,688

$1,795 ₡809.1K

-5.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,507 $3,507

$1,006 ₡453.5K

248.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

8.62

-23.55%

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

Last update for Tulsa, OK: October 5, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tulsa, OK

$911 39.9%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 15.5% $141

Groceries & Markets

Tulsa, OK

$398 17.5%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 0.2% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tulsa, OK

$377 16.5%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 50% $188

Eating Out

Tulsa, OK

$276 12.1%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 17.2% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Tulsa, OK

$184 8.1%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 4.8% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Tulsa, OK

$77 3.4%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 13.3% $10

Getting Around

Tulsa, OK

$60 2.6%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 33.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,250 in Tulsa, OK versus $934 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 249% higher in Tulsa, OK, 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 $73.0 in Tulsa, OK versus $60.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $398 in Tulsa, OK vs $399 in San Jose – so Tulsa, OK wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tulsa, OK

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

08:44 8:44 AM

07:44 7:44 AM

1 h behind Tulsa, OK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

413,066

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tulsa, OK San Jose 3,150 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tulsa, OK
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

Tulsa, OK vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tulsa, OK is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,446 per month in Tulsa, OK and $2,924 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 $73.0 in Tulsa, OK and $60.0 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 $2,298 in Tulsa, OK and $1,949 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 18%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Tulsa, OK at $2,298. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tulsa, OK 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, Tulsa, OK makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.