Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Auburn, WA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,589 in Auburn, WA, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Auburn, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

126

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, WA
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Auburn, WA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Auburn, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,589

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,589 per month in Auburn, WA vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Auburn, WA $2,589
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $4,092 per month in Auburn, WA vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Auburn, WA $4,092
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $5,595 per month in Auburn, WA vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Auburn, WA $5,595
San Jose $3,929

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

Both Auburn, WA and San Jose sit above the global median – Auburn, WA by 91%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$12.29 ₡5,513

60.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.2 $96.2

$62.3 ₡27.9K

54.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 $11.71

$11.53 ₡5,171

1.56%

Cappuccino

$4.46 $4.46

$4.35 ₡1,953

2.53%

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

$2.05 $2.05

$2.64 ₡1,183

-22.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.86 ₡836

8.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.32 ₡1,490

48.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$4.52 ₡2,026

58.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$2.39 ₡1,073

-62.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.08 ₡1,381

-16.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.50 ₡1,119

50.00%

Eggs

$3.04 $3.04

$3.48 ₡1,562

-12.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 $8.58

$10.74 ₡4,815

-20.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.75 $13.75

$10.32 ₡4,629

33.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.56 $18.56

$14.10 ₡6,325

31.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$5.03 ₡2,256

-5.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.59 ₡714

13.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$4.84 ₡2,171

-21.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.96 ₡1,776

4.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.76 ₡1,684

-17.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.73 ₡1,674

-12.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.08 ₡485

69.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.25 ₡1,456

-35.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.79 $10.79

$5.86 ₡2,627

84.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 $15.03

$20.28 ₡9,095

-25.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.73 ₡1,673

-21.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.50 ₡1,123

41.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.63 ₡732

12.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.2 $50.2

$8.71 ₡3,904

476.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.58 ₡709

-17.72%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-23.80%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-41.16%

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

$216 $216

$93.7 ₡42.0K

131.16%

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

$40.51 $40.51

$35.42 ₡15.9K

14.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.5 $79.5

$60.0 ₡26.9K

32.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.39 $34.39

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-52.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 $14.77

$7.74 ₡3,471

90.83%

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

$1,077 $1,077

$1,005 ₡450.9K

7.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K $16.8K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-0.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-23.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.82 $46.82

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-15.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 $78.9

$128 ₡57.5K

-38.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 $81.3

$130 ₡58.5K

-37.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 $1,470

$932 ₡418.0K

57.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 $1,381

$760 ₡340.8K

81.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 $2,298

$1,922 ₡862.0K

19.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,844 $2,844

$1,276 ₡572.1K

122.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,864 $6,864

$1,029 ₡461.3K

567.29%

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 Auburn, WA: October 20, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Auburn, WA

$1.4K 53.4%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 45% $622

Groceries & Markets

Auburn, WA

$375 14.5%

San Jose

$403 21% 7.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Auburn, WA

$336 13%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 43.8% $147

Eating Out

Auburn, WA

$301 11.6%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 24.1% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Auburn, WA

$118 4.6%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 47.4% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Auburn, WA

$64 2.5%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 37.8% $24

Getting Around

Auburn, WA

$13 * 0.5%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 531% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,470 in Auburn, WA 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 567% higher in Auburn, WA, 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 $96.0 in Auburn, WA versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $375 in Auburn, WA vs $403 in San Jose – so Auburn, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Auburn, WA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

15:02 3:02 PM

16:02 4:02 PM

1 h ahead of Auburn, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,143

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 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Auburn, WA San Jose 5,480 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Auburn, 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

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

Auburn, WA costs about 35% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,884 per month in Auburn, WA and $2,886 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,589 in Auburn, WA and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 35%.

Kindergarten costs $1,077 per month in Auburn, WA and $1,005 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Auburn, WA at $2,589. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Auburn, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,924 versus $2,589 in Auburn, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Auburn, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.