Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, WA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,803 in Arlington, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, WA
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Arlington, WA Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Arlington, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,803

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,803 in Arlington, WA versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Arlington, WA $2,803
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,283 in Arlington, WA versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Arlington, WA $4,283
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,763 in Arlington, WA versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Arlington, WA $5,763
San Jose $3,934

Living in Arlington, WA is roughly 45% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arlington, WA 108% above, San Jose 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.98 $24.98

$12.38 ₡5,551

101.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.9 ₡27.3K

65.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.24 $14.24

$11.45 ₡5,135

24.37%

Cappuccino

$5.88 $5.88

$4.39 ₡1,967

33.94%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$2.70 ₡1,211

12.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.93 ₡864

56.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 $7.16

$3.20 ₡1,433

123.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$4.41 ₡1,979

54.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.44 ₡1,093

-57.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.05 ₡1,369

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.41 ₡1,081

73.86%

Eggs

$3.94 $3.94

$3.40 ₡1,523

15.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 $13.98

$10.75 ₡4,823

30.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$10.43 ₡4,679

27.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.00 $23.00

$13.99 ₡6,273

64.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.25 ₡2,353

0.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.59 ₡712

19.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$4.69 ₡2,103

-10.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.95 ₡1,770

24.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.92 ₡1,760

-48.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$3.68 ₡1,651

-34.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.12 ₡503

147.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.19 ₡1,429

-21.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.72 $12.72

$6.00 ₡2,692

112.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$19.56 ₡8,771

-24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.82 ₡1,263

-29.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 $4.39

$3.59 ₡1,611

22.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.50 ₡1,119

4.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.63 ₡733

4.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.78 $29.78

$8.50 ₡3,812

250.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.56 ₡701

-12.82%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

61.03%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-29.22%

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

$293 $293

$95.2 ₡42.7K

207.34%

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

$69.9 $69.9

$35.58 ₡16.0K

96.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.2 $89.2

$58.6 ₡26.3K

52.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.54 $33.54

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-53.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$16.84 $16.84

$7.58 ₡3,401

122.16%

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

$2,983 $2,983

$1,001 ₡449.0K

197.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.9K $30.9K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

80.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-27.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 $54.5

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-2.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$130 ₡58.2K

-22.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$131 ₡58.7K

2.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 $1,522

$927 ₡415.8K

64.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$774 ₡347.2K

67.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 $2,826

$1,967 ₡882.0K

43.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 $2,454

$1,288 ₡577.6K

90.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,858 $5,858

$1,016 ₡455.8K

476.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

8.62

-21.00%

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

Last update for Arlington, WA: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arlington, WA

$1.3K 46.3%

San Jose

$774 40% 40.3% $522

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arlington, WA

$452 16.1%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 58.1% $262

Groceries & Markets

Arlington, WA

$436 15.6%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 8.1% $35

Eating Out

Arlington, WA

$387 13.8%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 40.7% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Arlington, WA

$153 5.5%

San Jose

$174 9% 13.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Arlington, WA

$67 2.4%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 30.7% $21

Getting Around

Arlington, WA

$11 * 0.4%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 635% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,522 in Arlington, WA and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, WA pays 476% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $101 in Arlington, WA vs $61.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $401 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Arlington, WA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

23:08 11:08 PM

00:08 12:08 AM

1 h ahead of Arlington, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,438

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Arlington, WA San Jose 5,540 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Arlington, WA
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

Arlington, WA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arlington, WA and San Jose differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($2,803 vs $1,938 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 476% higher in Arlington, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,522 in Arlington, WA versus $927 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Arlington, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,803 per month in Arlington, WA versus $1,938 in San Jose – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,803 in Arlington, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Arlington, WA. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Arlington, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.