Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Youngstown, OH and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Youngstown, OH: $1,864 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Youngstown, OH, United States
San Jose, Costa Rica
Youngstown, OH
🇺🇸 United States
$1,864
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,107
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,864 per month in Youngstown, OH vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Youngstown, OH $1,864
  • San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $2,832 per month in Youngstown, OH vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Youngstown, OH $2,832
  • San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $3,800 per month in Youngstown, OH vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Youngstown, OH $3,800
  • San Jose $4,054

Youngstown, OH is about 12% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Youngstown, OH and San Jose sit above the global median – Youngstown, OH by 38%, San Jose by 56%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Youngstown, OH
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.39 $20.39
$12.37 ₡5,563
64.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 $62.3
$62.4 ₡28.0K
-0.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.84 $9.84
$11.71 ₡5,264
-15.97%
Cappuccino
$4.25 $4.25
$4.54 ₡2,040
-6.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$2.75 ₡1,238
-9.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 $2.02
$1.86 ₡837
8.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.51 $5.51
$3.35 ₡1,505
64.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.06 $6.06
$4.32 ₡1,944
40.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Youngstown, OH
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.87 $0.87
$2.36 ₡1,061
-63.14%
White Bread (500g)
$2.67 $2.67
$3.07 ₡1,379
-13.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.32 $5.32
$2.51 ₡1,128
111.95%
Eggs
$3.15 $3.15
$3.53 ₡1,585
-10.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.81 $11.81
$10.54 ₡4,738
12.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.14 $14.14
$10.57 ₡4,754
33.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.76 $8.76
$13.92 ₡6,261
-37.07%
Apples (1kg)
$6.27 $6.27
$5.20 ₡2,338
20.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 $1.65
$1.65 ₡740
-
Oranges (1kg)
$5.95 $5.95
$4.89 ₡2,198
21.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.73 $4.73
$3.84 ₡1,728
23.18%
Potato (1kg)
$2.95 $2.95
$3.91 ₡1,757
-24.55%
Onion (1kg)
$3.00 $3.00
$3.76 ₡1,692
-20.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.26 $2.26
$1.12 ₡504
101.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 $1.79
$3.22 ₡1,447
-44.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.65 $9.65
$6.02 ₡2,706
60.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.38 $12.38
$19.84 ₡8,919
-37.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$2.81 ₡1,264
-29.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.02 $3.02
$3.65 ₡1,643
-17.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Youngstown, OH
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.08 ₡487
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$65.2 ₡29.3K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 $3.02
$2.26 ₡1,018
33.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 $1.42
$1.78 ₡799
-20.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.67 $29.67
$7.90 ₡3,551
275.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.50 ₡673
-32.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.2K $31.2K
$33.5K ₡15.1M
-6.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K $25.0K
$42.3K ₡19.0M
-40.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Youngstown, OH
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$222 $222
$93.2 ₡41.9K
137.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$65.9 $65.9
$36.13 ₡16.2K
82.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.7 $67.7
$60.6 ₡27.2K
11.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Youngstown, OH
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.5 $60.5
$68.9 ₡31.0K
-12.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.62 $19.62
$24.94 ₡11.2K
-21.33%
Cinema Ticket
$7.35 $7.35
$7.67 ₡3,449
-4.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Youngstown, OH
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,520 $1,520
$972 ₡436.9K
56.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.0K $10.0K
$18.9K ₡8.5M
-46.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Youngstown, OH
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.3 $50.3
$70.6 ₡31.8K
-28.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.15 $25.15
$56.7 ₡25.5K
-55.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$44.20 $44.20
$129 ₡57.8K
-65.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.8 $59.8
$131 ₡58.8K
-54.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Youngstown, OH
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$816 $816
$1,170 ₡525.9K
-30.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 $665
$943 ₡424.1K
-29.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,387 $1,387
$1,984 ₡892.0K
-30.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,224 $1,224
$1,400 ₡629.5K
-12.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,384 $1,384
$2,681 ₡1.2M
-48.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,153 $1,153
$2,037 ₡915.8K
-43.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Youngstown, OH
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,417 $3,417
$987 ₡443.6K
246.35%
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 Youngstown, OH: 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
Youngstown, OH
$665
San Jose
$943 41.9% $279
Groceries & Markets
Youngstown, OH
$376
San Jose
$403 7% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Youngstown, OH
$355
San Jose
$190 46.5% $165
Eating Out
Youngstown, OH
$301
San Jose
$232 22.9% $69
Clothing & Footwear
Youngstown, OH
$81
San Jose
$174 116% $93
Sport & Entertainment
Youngstown, OH
$75
San Jose
$84 12% $9
Getting Around
Youngstown, OH
$10 *
San Jose
$81 699% $71

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $816 in Youngstown, OH 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 Youngstown, OH are about 3.5 times higher, 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 $62 in Youngstown, OH versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $376 vs $403 – making Youngstown, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Youngstown, OH
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
09:19 9:19 AM
08:19 8:19 AM
1 h behind Youngstown, OH
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
66,982
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Youngstown, OH San Jose 3,480 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Youngstown, OH
  • 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
Youngstown, OH vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Youngstown, OH cheaper than San Jose?
Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,795 per month in Youngstown, OH and $3,161 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Youngstown, OH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $816 there versus $1,170 in San Jose.
How do food prices compare in Youngstown, OH and in San Jose?
Groceries cost about 7% more in San Jose, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,520 per month in Youngstown, OH and $972 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 enough for either Youngstown, OH or San Jose?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,864 in Youngstown, OH and $2,107 in San Jose, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Youngstown, OH or in San Jose?
It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,864 in Youngstown, OH to $2,107 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Youngstown, OH vs other spots: cost of living compared

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