Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yuma, AZ and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,111 in Yuma, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Yuma, AZ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Yuma, AZ
🇺🇸 United States
$2,111
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,924
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,111 per month in Yuma, AZ vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Yuma, AZ $2,111
  • San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,130 per month in Yuma, AZ vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Yuma, AZ $3,130
  • San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,149 per month in Yuma, AZ vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Yuma, AZ $4,149
  • San Jose $3,929

Yuma, AZ costs about 10% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Yuma, AZ and San Jose sit above the global median – Yuma, AZ by 56%, San Jose by 42%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Yuma, AZ
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.82 $12.82
$12.29 ₡5,513
4.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.57 $44.57
$62.3 ₡27.9K
-28.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.42 $9.42
$11.53 ₡5,171
-18.30%
Cappuccino
$5.66 $5.66
$4.35 ₡1,953
30.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 $3.01
$2.64 ₡1,183
14.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 $2.34
$1.86 ₡836
25.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.72 $5.72
$3.32 ₡1,490
72.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 $5.54
$4.52 ₡2,026
22.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Yuma, AZ
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.84 $0.84
$2.39 ₡1,073
-64.85%
White Bread (500g)
$4.12 $4.12
$3.08 ₡1,381
33.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.36 $3.36
$2.50 ₡1,119
34.40%
Eggs
$4.39 $4.39
$3.48 ₡1,562
26.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.20 $9.20
$10.74 ₡4,815
-14.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.75 $9.75
$10.32 ₡4,629
-5.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.90 $14.90
$14.10 ₡6,325
5.67%
Apples (1kg)
$5.43 $5.43
$5.03 ₡2,256
7.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 $1.85
$1.59 ₡714
16.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$4.84 ₡2,171
-13.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.72 $2.72
$3.96 ₡1,776
-31.31%
Potato (1kg)
$3.35 $3.35
$3.76 ₡1,684
-10.90%
Onion (1kg)
$2.99 $2.99
$3.73 ₡1,674
-19.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 $1.48
$1.08 ₡485
37.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 $1.66
$3.25 ₡1,456
-48.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.18 $11.18
$5.86 ₡2,627
90.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.69 $14.69
$20.28 ₡9,095
-27.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 $1.78
$2.90 ₡1,300
-38.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 $3.10
$3.73 ₡1,673
-16.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Yuma, AZ
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.08 ₡486
80.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$45.91 $45.91
$65.5 ₡29.4K
-29.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.69 $2.69
$2.50 ₡1,123
7.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.40 $1.40
$1.63 ₡732
-14.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.52 $33.52
$8.71 ₡3,904
284.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.58 ₡709
-34.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.7K $23.7K
$33.6K ₡15.1M
-29.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.7K $24.7K
$41.7K ₡18.7M
-40.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yuma, AZ
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$93.7 ₡42.0K
144.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$53.0 $53.0
$35.42 ₡15.9K
49.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.3 $71.3
$60.0 ₡26.9K
18.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Yuma, AZ
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.01 $33.01
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-54.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.06 $15.06
$25.83 ₡11.6K
-41.70%
Cinema Ticket
$10.95 $10.95
$7.74 ₡3,471
41.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Yuma, AZ
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,004 $1,004
$1,005 ₡450.9K
-0.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.9K $22.9K
$16.9K ₡7.6M
35.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Yuma, AZ
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.5 $51.5
$73.1 ₡32.8K
-29.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.84 $43.84
$55.4 ₡24.9K
-20.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.2 $71.2
$128 ₡57.5K
-44.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.4 $73.4
$130 ₡58.5K
-43.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Yuma, AZ
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,010 $1,010
$932 ₡418.0K
8.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$915 $915
$760 ₡340.8K
20.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,695 $1,695
$1,922 ₡862.0K
-11.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,689 $1,689
$1,276 ₡572.1K
32.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,483 $2,483
$2,301 ₡1.0M
7.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,432 $2,432
$1,833 ₡821.9K
32.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Yuma, AZ
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,672 $3,672
$1,029 ₡461.3K
256.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.63
8.62
-23.09%

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

Last update for Yuma, AZ: October 18, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Yuma, AZ
$915
San Jose
$760 17% $155
Groceries & Markets
Yuma, AZ
$357
San Jose
$403 13.1% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yuma, AZ
$353
San Jose
$189 46.5% $164
Eating Out
Yuma, AZ
$260
San Jose
$229 11.9% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Yuma, AZ
$108
San Jose
$174 61.4% $66
Getting Around
Yuma, AZ
$63
San Jose
$80 26.9% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Yuma, AZ
$55
San Jose
$88 60.4% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,010 in Yuma, AZ versus $932 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 257% higher in Yuma, AZ, 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 $45.00 in Yuma, AZ versus $62.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $403 – making Yuma, AZ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Yuma, AZ
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
15:13 3:13 PM
16:13 4:13 PM
1 h ahead of Yuma, AZ
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
93,064
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Yuma, AZ San Jose 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Yuma, AZ
  • 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
Yuma, AZ vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Jose cheaper than Yuma, AZ?
Yes – Yuma, AZ is pricier by about 10%, 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 $3,167 per month in Yuma, AZ and $2,886 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 San Jose, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Yuma, AZ or in San Jose?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Yuma, AZ and $62.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Yuma, AZ and in San Jose?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,111 in Yuma, AZ and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 10%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Yuma, AZ or in San Jose?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Yuma, AZ at $2,111. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yuma, AZ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Yuma, AZ or San Jose more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Yuma, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Yuma, AZ vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?