Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellevue, WA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $3,719 in Bellevue, WA, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

181

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Bellevue, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,719

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,719 in Bellevue, WA versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Bellevue, WA $3,719
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,673 in Bellevue, WA versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Bellevue, WA $5,673
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,628 in Bellevue, WA versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Bellevue, WA $7,628
San Jose $3,934

Living in Bellevue, WA is roughly 92% 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: Bellevue, WA 175% above, San Jose 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 $25.37

$12.38 ₡5,551

104.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$60.9 ₡27.3K

66.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.04 $13.04

$11.45 ₡5,135

13.89%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$4.39 ₡1,967

32.57%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.70 ₡1,211

18.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.93 ₡864

35.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$3.20 ₡1,433

152.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.08 $8.08

$4.41 ₡1,979

83.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$2.44 ₡1,093

-54.92%

White Bread (500g)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.05 ₡1,369

59.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.00 $6.00

$2.41 ₡1,081

148.96%

Eggs

$5.55 $5.55

$3.40 ₡1,523

63.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.32 $16.32

$10.75 ₡4,823

51.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$10.43 ₡4,679

51.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$13.99 ₡6,273

64.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$5.25 ₡2,353

6.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.59 ₡712

17.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.69 ₡2,103

12.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$3.95 ₡1,770

14.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.92 ₡1,760

-32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.68 ₡1,651

-13.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.12 ₡503

81.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.19 ₡1,429

-21.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$6.00 ₡2,692

102.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.59 $18.59

$19.56 ₡8,771

-4.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.82 ₡1,263

-23.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.59 ₡1,611

32.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.12 ₡503

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$66.8 ₡30.0K

59.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.50 ₡1,119

1.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.63 ₡733

1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.32 $30.32

$8.50 ₡3,812

256.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.56 ₡701

-7.69%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

63.95%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-27.46%

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

$226 $226

$95.2 ₡42.7K

137.22%

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

$54.0 $54.0

$35.58 ₡16.0K

51.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 $65.8

$58.6 ₡26.3K

12.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$134 $134

$72.7 ₡32.6K

84.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.89 $39.89

$24.85 ₡11.1K

60.52%

Cinema Ticket

$17.31 $17.31

$7.58 ₡3,401

128.36%

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

$1,980 $1,980

$1,001 ₡449.0K

97.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K $31.5K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

84.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 $60.8

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-13.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.35 $44.35

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-20.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 $95.8

$130 ₡58.2K

-26.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$131 ₡58.7K

-2.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,683 $2,683

$927 ₡415.8K

189.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 $2,041

$774 ₡347.2K

163.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,658 $5,658

$1,967 ₡882.0K

187.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,822 $3,822

$1,288 ₡577.6K

196.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,604 $4,604

$2,274 ₡1.0M

102.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,735 $4,735

$1,831 ₡821.0K

158.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,805 $8,805

$1,016 ₡455.8K

766.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

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

Last update for Bellevue, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bellevue, WA

$2K 54.9%

San Jose

$774 40% 62.1% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Bellevue, WA

$495 13.3%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 19.1% $94

Eating Out

Bellevue, WA

$392 10.5%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 41.5% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bellevue, WA

$346 9.3%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 45.2% $156

Sport & Entertainment

Bellevue, WA

$169 4.5%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 47.9% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Bellevue, WA

$148 4%

San Jose

$174 9% 17.8% $26

Getting Around

Bellevue, WA

$128 3.5%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 36.2% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,683 in Bellevue, WA and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bellevue, WA pays 766% 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: $102 in Bellevue, WA vs $61.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $495 vs $401 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bellevue, WA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

14:56 2:56 PM

15:56 3:56 PM

1 h ahead of Bellevue, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

151,854

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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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Bellevue, WA San Jose 5,500 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bellevue, 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

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

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 766% higher in Bellevue, 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: $2,683 in Bellevue, WA versus $927 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $102 in Bellevue, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,719 per month in Bellevue, WA versus $1,938 in San Jose – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $3,719 in Bellevue, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Bellevue, WA. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Jose is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bellevue, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bellevue, WA 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 92% less than in Bellevue, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.