Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Virginia Beach, VA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,847 in Virginia Beach, VA, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Virginia Beach, VA
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Virginia Beach, VA Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Virginia Beach, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,847

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,847 per month in Virginia Beach, VA vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Virginia Beach, VA $2,847
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $4,018 per month in Virginia Beach, VA vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Virginia Beach, VA $4,018
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $5,188 per month in Virginia Beach, VA vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Virginia Beach, VA $5,188
San Jose $4,054

Virginia Beach, VA costs about 35% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Virginia Beach, VA and San Jose sit above the global median – Virginia Beach, VA by 111%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.07 $18.07

$12.37 ₡5,563

46.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.3 $89.3

$62.4 ₡28.0K

43.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 $11.79

$11.71 ₡5,264

0.68%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$4.54 ₡2,040

28.19%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$2.75 ₡1,238

2.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.86 ₡837

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.35 ₡1,505

74.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$4.32 ₡1,944

60.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.36 ₡1,061

-55.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.07 ₡1,379

3.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$2.51 ₡1,128

111.55%

Eggs

$4.69 $4.69

$3.53 ₡1,585

32.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$10.54 ₡4,738

-3.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.09 $10.09

$10.57 ₡4,754

-4.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$13.92 ₡6,261

28.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$5.20 ₡2,338

-52.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.65 ₡740

-6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$4.89 ₡2,198

5.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.84 ₡1,728

51.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.91 ₡1,757

-39.64%

Onion (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$3.76 ₡1,692

17.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.12 ₡504

136.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.22 ₡1,447

-27.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 $9.66

$6.02 ₡2,706

60.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.89 $11.89

$19.84 ₡8,919

-40.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.81 ₡1,264

-37.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.65 ₡1,643

-42.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.08 ₡487

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.1 $70.1

$65.2 ₡29.3K

7.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 $6.14

$2.26 ₡1,018

171.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.78 ₡799

-17.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.16 $20.16

$7.90 ₡3,551

155.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.50 ₡673

-33.33%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-18.50%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-37.54%

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

$208 $208

$93.2 ₡41.9K

123.39%

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

$59.5 $59.5

$36.13 ₡16.2K

64.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$60.6 ₡27.2K

10.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.62 $23.62

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-65.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.42 $35.42

$24.94 ₡11.2K

42.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 $9.20

$7.67 ₡3,449

19.95%

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

$1,606 $1,606

$972 ₡436.9K

65.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

26.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 $62.4

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-11.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.77 $47.77

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-15.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$129 ₡57.8K

-7.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$131 ₡58.8K

-13.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 $1,968

$1,170 ₡525.9K

68.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,531 $1,531

$943 ₡424.1K

62.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,848 $2,848

$1,984 ₡892.0K

43.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,193 $2,193

$1,400 ₡629.5K

56.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,765 $2,765

$2,681 ₡1.2M

3.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,294 $2,294

$2,037 ₡915.8K

12.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,366 $4,366

$987 ₡443.6K

342.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for Virginia Beach, VA: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Virginia Beach, VA

$1.5K 53.8%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 38.4% $588

Groceries & Markets

Virginia Beach, VA

$380 13.4%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Virginia Beach, VA

$335 11.8%

San Jose

$190 9% 43.3% $145

Eating Out

Virginia Beach, VA

$313 11%

San Jose

$232 11% 25.7% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Virginia Beach, VA

$154 5.4%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 12.9% $20

Getting Around

Virginia Beach, VA

$92 3.2%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 12% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Virginia Beach, VA

$42 1.5%

San Jose

$84 4% 101% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,968 in Virginia Beach, VA 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 Virginia Beach, VA are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $62 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $380 in Virginia Beach, VA vs $403 in San Jose – so Virginia Beach, VA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Virginia Beach, VA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

10:49 10:49 AM

09:49 9:49 AM

1 h behind Virginia Beach, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

459,470

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

Virginia Beach, VA San Jose 3,100 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Virginia Beach, VA
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

Virginia Beach, VA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Virginia Beach, VA is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,271 per month in Virginia Beach, VA 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 $1,968 in Virginia Beach, VA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Virginia Beach, VA 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 $2,847 in Virginia Beach, VA and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 26% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Virginia Beach, VA at $2,847. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Virginia Beach, VA 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, Virginia Beach, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.