Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Upper Marlboro, MD and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,647 in Upper Marlboro, MD, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Upper Marlboro, MD
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Upper Marlboro, MD Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Upper Marlboro, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,647

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,647 per month in Upper Marlboro, MD vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Upper Marlboro, MD $2,647
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $4,032 per month in Upper Marlboro, MD vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Upper Marlboro, MD $4,032
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $5,417 per month in Upper Marlboro, MD vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Upper Marlboro, MD $5,417
San Jose $4,054

Upper Marlboro, MD costs about 26% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Upper Marlboro, MD and San Jose sit above the global median – Upper Marlboro, MD by 96%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.70 $22.70

$12.37 ₡5,563

83.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.0 $90.0

$62.4 ₡28.0K

44.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.01 $10.01

$11.71 ₡5,264

-14.52%

Cappuccino

$6.01 $6.01

$4.54 ₡2,040

32.38%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$2.75 ₡1,238

-1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.86 ₡837

37.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.04 $10.04

$3.35 ₡1,505

199.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.96 $9.96

$4.32 ₡1,944

130.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.36 ₡1,061

-44.07%

White Bread (500g)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.07 ₡1,379

55.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.87 $6.87

$2.51 ₡1,128

173.71%

Eggs

$5.67 $5.67

$3.53 ₡1,585

60.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 $13.24

$10.54 ₡4,738

25.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.71 $16.71

$10.57 ₡4,754

58.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.82 $18.82

$13.92 ₡6,261

35.20%

Apples (1kg)

$7.38 $7.38

$5.20 ₡2,338

41.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.65 ₡740

4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$4.89 ₡2,198

3.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.84 ₡1,728

15.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.91 ₡1,757

-21.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.76 ₡1,692

-44.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.12 ₡504

135.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.22 ₡1,447

-14.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.55 $13.55

$6.02 ₡2,706

125.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$19.84 ₡8,919

-25.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.81 ₡1,264

-38.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.65 ₡1,643

59.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.08 ₡487

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.1 $52.1

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-20.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.26 ₡1,018

81.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.78 ₡799

-11.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.43 $25.43

$7.90 ₡3,551

221.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.50 ₡673

-25.33%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-17.73%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-38.40%

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

$162 $162

$93.2 ₡41.9K

73.85%

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

$80.7 $80.7

$36.13 ₡16.2K

123.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.3 $77.3

$60.6 ₡27.2K

27.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.26 $40.26

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-41.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$17.30 $17.30

$7.67 ₡3,449

125.55%

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

$2,344 $2,344

$972 ₡436.9K

141.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K $18.5K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-2.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.30 $45.30

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-35.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 $42.09

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-25.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$129 ₡57.8K

-19.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$131 ₡58.8K

-3.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 $1,442

$1,170 ₡525.9K

23.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,175 $1,175

$943 ₡424.1K

24.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,615 $2,615

$1,984 ₡892.0K

31.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 $2,079

$1,400 ₡629.5K

48.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,837 $2,837

$2,681 ₡1.2M

5.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,234 $2,234

$2,037 ₡915.8K

9.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,948 $7,948

$987 ₡443.6K

705.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

8.62

-23.90%

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

Last update for Upper Marlboro, MD: November 3, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Upper Marlboro, MD

$1.2K 44.4%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 19.7% $232

Groceries & Markets

Upper Marlboro, MD

$487 18.4%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 17.3% $84

Eating Out

Upper Marlboro, MD

$375 14.2%

San Jose

$232 11% 38% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Upper Marlboro, MD

$320 12.1%

San Jose

$190 9% 40.6% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Upper Marlboro, MD

$143 5.4%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 21.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Upper Marlboro, MD

$75 2.8%

San Jose

$84 4% 12.6% $9.4

Getting Around

Upper Marlboro, MD

$72 2.7%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 11.7% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,442 in Upper Marlboro, MD 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 Upper Marlboro, MD are about 8.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Upper Marlboro, MD versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $487 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Upper Marlboro, MD

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

07:36 7:36 AM

06:36 6:36 AM

1 h behind Upper Marlboro, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

700

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 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

Upper Marlboro, MD San Jose 3,290 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Upper Marlboro, MD
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

Upper Marlboro, MD vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Upper Marlboro, MD is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,970 per month in Upper Marlboro, MD 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 $1,442 in Upper Marlboro, MD.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Upper Marlboro, MD and $62 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 $2,647 in Upper Marlboro, MD and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 20% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Upper Marlboro, MD at $2,647. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Upper Marlboro, MD 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Upper Marlboro, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.