Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Utica, NY and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,509 in Utica, NY, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Utica, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

119

Cost of Living Index in Utica, NY
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Utica, NY Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Utica, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,509

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,509 per month in Utica, NY vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Utica, NY $2,509
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,898 per month in Utica, NY vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Utica, NY $3,898
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $5,286 per month in Utica, NY vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Utica, NY $5,286
San Jose $4,054

Utica, NY costs about 19% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Utica, NY and San Jose sit above the global median – Utica, NY by 86%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.14 $17.14

$12.37 ₡5,563

38.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 $75.8

$62.4 ₡28.0K

21.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 $11.04

$11.71 ₡5,264

-5.72%

Cappuccino

$5.26 $5.26

$4.54 ₡2,040

15.86%

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

$2.85 $2.85

$2.75 ₡1,238

3.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.86 ₡837

-8.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.35 ₡1,505

45.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.32 ₡1,944

40.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$2.36 ₡1,061

-62.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$3.07 ₡1,379

13.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.51 ₡1,128

17.53%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$3.53 ₡1,585

26.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 $13.27

$10.54 ₡4,738

25.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.60 $9.60

$10.57 ₡4,754

-9.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.88 $15.88

$13.92 ₡6,261

14.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.20 ₡2,338

-4.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.65 ₡740

-5.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$4.89 ₡2,198

-17.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$3.84 ₡1,728

35.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$3.91 ₡1,757

-59.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.76 ₡1,692

-46.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.12 ₡504

110.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.22 ₡1,447

-25.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.42 $13.42

$6.02 ₡2,706

122.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 $11.82

$19.84 ₡8,919

-40.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.81 ₡1,264

-24.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.65 ₡1,643

-6.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.08 ₡487

39.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.97 $42.97

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-34.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 $5.28

$2.26 ₡1,018

133.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.78 ₡799

28.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.75 $44.75

$7.90 ₡3,551

466.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.50 ₡673

-39.33%

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

$32.6K $32.6K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-2.56%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-40.28%

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

$189 $189

$93.2 ₡41.9K

102.35%

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

$53.6 $53.6

$36.13 ₡16.2K

48.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.7 $65.7

$60.6 ₡27.2K

8.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.48 $39.48

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-42.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 $13.08

$7.67 ₡3,449

70.53%

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

$785 $785

$972 ₡436.9K

-19.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

30.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-24.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.24 $45.24

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-20.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 $82.4

$129 ₡57.8K

-35.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 $90.3

$131 ₡58.8K

-31.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 $1,185

$1,170 ₡525.9K

1.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$943 ₡424.1K

36.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 $2,050

$1,984 ₡892.0K

3.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 $2,571

$1,400 ₡629.5K

83.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,717 $1,717

$2,681 ₡1.2M

-35.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 $1,701

$2,037 ₡915.8K

-16.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,587 $3,587

$987 ₡443.6K

263.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

8.62

-24.36%

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

Last update for Utica, NY: 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

Utica, NY

$1.3K 51.3%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 26.7% $344

Groceries & Markets

Utica, NY

$373 14.9%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 7.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Utica, NY

$308 12.3%

San Jose

$190 9% 38.3% $118

Eating Out

Utica, NY

$288 11.5%

San Jose

$232 11% 19.3% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Utica, NY

$122 4.9%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 42.5% $52

Getting Around

Utica, NY

$66 2.6%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 22.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Utica, NY

$66 2.6%

San Jose

$84 4% 28.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,185 in Utica, NY 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 Utica, NY are about 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Utica, NY versus $62 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $373 in Utica, NY vs $403 in San Jose – so Utica, NY wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Utica, NY

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

16:29 4:29 PM

15:29 3:29 PM

1 h behind Utica, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,283

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 = 0.895 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Utica, NY San Jose 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Utica, NY
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

Utica, NY vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Utica, NY is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,764 per month in Utica, NY and $3,161 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,185 in Utica, NY and $1,170 in San Jose. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Utica, NY 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 $2,509 in Utica, NY and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 16% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Utica, NY at $2,509. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Utica, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,509 in Utica, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Utica, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.