Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Appleton, WI and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,097 in Appleton, WI, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Appleton, WI outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

103

Cost of Living Index in Appleton, WI
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Appleton, WI Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Appleton, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,097

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,097 per month in Appleton, WI vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Appleton, WI $2,097
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,238 per month in Appleton, WI vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Appleton, WI $3,238
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $4,380 per month in Appleton, WI vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Appleton, WI $4,380
San Jose $3,857

Appleton, WI costs about 8% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Appleton, WI and San Jose sit above the global median – Appleton, WI by 56%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.91 $17.91

$12.22 ₡5,510

46.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.1 $66.1

$60.1 ₡27.1K

10.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 $11.11

$11.77 ₡5,305

-5.61%

Cappuccino

$5.23 $5.23

$4.30 ₡1,939

21.63%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.72 ₡1,226

-3.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.84 ₡830

23.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.28 ₡1,480

40.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 $6.20

$4.36 ₡1,966

42.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.38 ₡1,074

-58.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.12 ₡1,408

-3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$2.41 ₡1,086

113.69%

Eggs

$4.71 $4.71

$3.47 ₡1,564

35.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 $14.34

$10.57 ₡4,767

35.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 $8.43

$10.56 ₡4,758

-20.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$13.75 ₡6,196

11.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$5.04 ₡2,274

-0.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.61 ₡727

-18.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$4.59 ₡2,069

-32.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$3.84 ₡1,731

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$3.77 ₡1,700

-45.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.76 ₡1,693

-26.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.12 ₡506

94.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.20 ₡1,441

-2.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.86 $10.86

$5.84 ₡2,632

85.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.14 $15.14

$19.73 ₡8,897

-23.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.75 ₡1,240

-38.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.66 ₡1,650

-4.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.46 ₡1,110

33.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.54 ₡692

-7.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.47 $24.47

$8.46 ₡3,815

189.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.55 ₡699

-34.19%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

67.26%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-29.15%

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

$176 $176

$94.7 ₡42.7K

86.19%

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

$44.67 $44.67

$35.11 ₡15.8K

27.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 $60.6

$58.6 ₡26.4K

3.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.78 $23.78

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-67.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.09 $41.09

$25.19 ₡11.4K

63.12%

Cinema Ticket

$14.48 $14.48

$7.83 ₡3,532

84.93%

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

$1,512 $1,512

$971 ₡437.9K

55.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K $31.2K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

83.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.33 $39.33

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-45.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.09 $25.09

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-54.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.9 $50.9

$129 ₡58.2K

-60.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$133 ₡60.0K

-18.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 $1,501

$934 ₡420.9K

60.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,017 $1,017

$770 ₡347.2K

31.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 $1,804

$1,945 ₡876.7K

-7.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,910 $1,910

$1,316 ₡593.5K

45.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,320 $2,320

$2,277 ₡1.0M

1.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,268 $2,268

$1,795 ₡809.1K

26.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,011 $4,011

$1,006 ₡453.5K

298.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

8.62

-26.10%

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

Last update for Appleton, WI: October 4, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Appleton, WI

$1K 47.6%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 24.2% $246

Groceries & Markets

Appleton, WI

$381 17.8%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 4.7% $18

Eating Out

Appleton, WI

$294 13.8%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 22.5% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Appleton, WI

$282 13.2%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 33.1% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Appleton, WI

$101 4.7%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 73.6% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Appleton, WI

$53 2.5%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 66.6% $35

Getting Around

Appleton, WI

$10 * 0.5%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 665% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,501 in Appleton, WI versus $934 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 299% higher in Appleton, WI, 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 $66.0 in Appleton, WI versus $60.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $381 in Appleton, WI vs $399 in San Jose – so Appleton, WI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Appleton, WI

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

03:19 3:19 AM

02:19 2:19 AM

1 h behind Appleton, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,139

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Appleton, WI San Jose 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Appleton, WI
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

Appleton, WI vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Appleton, WI is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,145 per month in Appleton, WI and $2,924 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Appleton, WI and $60.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Appleton, WI – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Appleton, WI at $2,097. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Appleton, WI 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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