Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baraboo, WI and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,376 in Baraboo, WI, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Baraboo, WI outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

114

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Baraboo, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,376

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,376 in Baraboo, WI versus $1,924 in San Jose.

Baraboo, WI $2,376
San Jose $1,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,386 in Baraboo, WI versus $2,926 in San Jose.

Baraboo, WI $3,386
San Jose $2,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,395 in Baraboo, WI versus $3,929 in San Jose.

Baraboo, WI $4,395
San Jose $3,929

Living in Baraboo, WI is roughly 23% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Baraboo, WI 75% above, San Jose 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.14 $14.14

$12.29 ₡5,513

15.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.27 $40.27

$62.3 ₡27.9K

-35.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$11.53 ₡5,171

4.94%

Cappuccino

$4.88 $4.88

$4.35 ₡1,953

12.18%

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

$1.47 $1.47

$2.64 ₡1,183

-44.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.86 ₡836

-18.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.32 ₡1,490

51.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$4.52 ₡2,026

-24.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.39 ₡1,073

-67.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.08 ₡1,381

-7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.50 ₡1,119

17.20%

Eggs

$2.96 $2.96

$3.48 ₡1,562

-14.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.95 $7.95

$10.74 ₡4,815

-25.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.50 $11.50

$10.32 ₡4,629

11.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 $10.56

$14.10 ₡6,325

-25.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$5.03 ₡2,256

-20.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.59 ₡714

-21.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$4.84 ₡2,171

-26.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.96 ₡1,776

37.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.76 ₡1,684

-53.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.73 ₡1,674

-13.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.08 ₡485

56.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.25 ₡1,456

-38.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.13 $12.13

$5.86 ₡2,627

107.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$20.28 ₡9,095

-60.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.73 ₡1,673

-9.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.08 ₡486

60.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.50 ₡1,123

19.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.63 ₡732

-1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.75 $26.75

$8.71 ₡3,904

207.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.58 ₡709

-34.18%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-27.74%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-38.54%

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

$172 $172

$93.7 ₡42.0K

83.44%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$35.42 ₡15.9K

48.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 $51.4

$60.0 ₡26.9K

-14.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 $41.57

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-42.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 $11.57

$7.74 ₡3,471

49.48%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,005 ₡450.9K

49.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

23.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 $56.2

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-23.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.90 $42.90

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-22.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 $89.5

$128 ₡57.5K

-30.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$130 ₡58.5K

-1.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 $1,613

$932 ₡418.0K

73.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 $1,307

$760 ₡340.8K

71.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,474 $2,474

$1,922 ₡862.0K

28.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 $2,148

$1,276 ₡572.1K

68.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,173 $2,173

$2,301 ₡1.0M

-5.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,193 $2,193

$1,833 ₡821.9K

19.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

8.62

-25.41%

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

Last update for Baraboo, WI: 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

Baraboo, WI

$1.3K 55%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 41.8% $547

Groceries & Markets

Baraboo, WI

$316 13.3%

San Jose

$403 21% 27.6% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baraboo, WI

$276 11.6%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 31.5% $87

Eating Out

Baraboo, WI

$252 10.6%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 9.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Baraboo, WI

$142 6%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 22.3% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Baraboo, WI

$65 2.7%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 36.1% $23

Getting Around

Baraboo, WI

$18 * 0.8%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 348% $62

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 $1,613 in Baraboo, WI and $932 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Baraboo, WI vs $62.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $403 per month, with Baraboo, WI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Baraboo, WI

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

17:42 5:42 PM

16:42 4:42 PM

1 h behind Baraboo, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,556

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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Between locations

Baraboo, WI San Jose 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Baraboo, 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

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

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Baraboo, WI. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,564 in Baraboo, WI and $2,886 in San Jose to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,613 in Baraboo, WI versus $932 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Baraboo, WI pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,376 per month in Baraboo, WI versus $1,924 in San Jose – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,376 in Baraboo, WI, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Baraboo, WI. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,924 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Baraboo, WI and San Jose are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Baraboo, WI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.