Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chilliwack and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,154 in Chilliwack, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chilliwack outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

104

Cost of Living Index in Chilliwack
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Chilliwack Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Chilliwack

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,154

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,154 in Chilliwack versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Chilliwack $2,154
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,139 in Chilliwack versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Chilliwack $3,139
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,125 in Chilliwack versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Chilliwack $4,125
San Jose $3,934

Living in Chilliwack is roughly 11% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chilliwack 60% above, San Jose 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.10 CA$19.94

$12.38 ₡5,551

13.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 CA$73.0

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-15.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.98 CA$12.70

$11.45 ₡5,135

-21.57%

Cappuccino

$4.36 CA$6.16

$4.39 ₡1,967

-0.68%

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

$1.94 CA$2.75

$2.70 ₡1,211

-28.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$1.93 ₡864

-19.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 CA$8.26

$3.20 ₡1,433

82.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.88

$4.41 ₡1,979

26.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 CA$2.85

$2.44 ₡1,093

-17.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$3.05 ₡1,369

-6.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.79

$2.41 ₡1,081

40.66%

Eggs

$3.15 CA$4.46

$3.40 ₡1,523

-7.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$10.75 ₡4,823

28.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.93 CA$19.69

$10.43 ₡4,679

33.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 CA$28.49

$13.99 ₡6,273

44.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 CA$6.12

$5.25 ₡2,353

-17.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.81

$1.59 ₡712

-19.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.60

$4.69 ₡2,103

-15.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 CA$7.77

$3.95 ₡1,770

39.24%

Potato (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.79

$3.92 ₡1,760

4.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 CA$3.65

$3.68 ₡1,651

-29.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 CA$3.90

$1.12 ₡503

146.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.37

$3.19 ₡1,429

-25.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.78 CA$16.65

$6.00 ₡2,692

96.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.08 CA$18.49

$19.56 ₡8,771

-33.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 CA$2.84

$2.82 ₡1,263

-28.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$3.59 ₡1,611

-33.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.12 ₡503

71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.02 CA$46.68

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-50.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 CA$4.20

$2.50 ₡1,119

18.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.63 ₡733

39.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.86 CA$35.14

$8.50 ₡3,812

192.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 CA$1.81

$1.56 ₡701

-17.95%

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

$27.3K CA$38.6K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

21.82%

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

$18.6K CA$26.2K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-47.85%

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

$124 CA$176

$95.2 ₡42.7K

30.70%

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

$44.16 CA$62.4

$35.58 ₡16.0K

24.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 CA$94.5

$58.6 ₡26.3K

14.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.15 CA$56.8

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-44.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.49 CA$24.73

$24.85 ₡11.1K

-29.62%

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 CA$16.80

$7.58 ₡3,401

56.86%

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

$358 CA$506

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-64.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K CA$17.0K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-29.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 CA$73.8

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-25.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.19 CA$58.2

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-26.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 CA$111

$130 ₡58.2K

-39.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.1 CA$137

$131 ₡58.7K

-25.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 CA$1,642

$927 ₡415.8K

25.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 CA$1,434

$774 ₡347.2K

31.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 CA$2,880

$1,967 ₡882.0K

3.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 CA$2,268

$1,288 ₡577.6K

24.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,220 CA$4,552

$2,274 ₡1.0M

41.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,288 CA$4,649

$1,831 ₡821.0K

79.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,032 CA$4,287

$1,016 ₡455.8K

198.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

8.62

-45.24%

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

Last update for Chilliwack: October 10, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chilliwack

$1K 47.1%

San Jose

$774 40% 23.7% $240

Groceries & Markets

Chilliwack

$417 19.4%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 3.8% $16

Eating Out

Chilliwack

$246 11.4%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 7% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chilliwack

$235 10.9%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 19.6% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Chilliwack

$121 5.6%

San Jose

$174 9% 43.7% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Chilliwack

$64 3%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 37.4% $24

Getting Around

Chilliwack

$55 2.6%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 49% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,161 in Chilliwack and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chilliwack pays 198% 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: $52.0 in Chilliwack vs $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $417 vs $401, with San Jose cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Chilliwack

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

18:38 6:38 PM

19:38 7:38 PM

1 h ahead of Chilliwack

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,788

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 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).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chilliwack San Jose 5,590 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chilliwack
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

Chilliwack vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Chilliwack. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 198% higher in Chilliwack, 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: $1,161 in Chilliwack versus $927 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $358 in Chilliwack versus $1,001 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Chilliwack. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,154 in Chilliwack, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Chilliwack. 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 $1,938 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Chilliwack. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.