Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Federal Way, WA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $3,324 in Federal Way, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

162

Cost of Living Index in Federal Way, WA
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Federal Way, WA Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Federal Way, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,324

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $3,324
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $4,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $4,324
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $5,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $5,324
San Jose $3,934

Federal Way, WA costs about 72% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Federal Way, WA and San Jose sit above the global median – Federal Way, WA by 146%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.74 $24.74

$12.38 ₡5,551

99.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 $76.1

$60.9 ₡27.3K

25.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 $12.56

$11.45 ₡5,135

9.69%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$4.39 ₡1,967

32.57%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$2.70 ₡1,211

8.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.93 ₡864

-13.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.06 $7.06

$3.20 ₡1,433

120.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.41 ₡1,979

61.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.44 ₡1,093

-55.33%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.05 ₡1,369

33.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.41 ₡1,081

26.56%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$3.40 ₡1,523

49.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$10.75 ₡4,823

51.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 $10.51

$10.43 ₡4,679

0.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 $19.36

$13.99 ₡6,273

38.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$5.25 ₡2,353

-2.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.59 ₡712

-0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$4.69 ₡2,103

-8.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.95 ₡1,770

17.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.92 ₡1,760

-31.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.68 ₡1,651

-35.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.12 ₡503

99.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$3.19 ₡1,429

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.08 $13.08

$6.00 ₡2,692

118.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$19.56 ₡8,771

-22.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.82 ₡1,263

-39.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.59 ₡1,611

34.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.12 ₡503

136.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.50 ₡1,119

5.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.63 ₡733

2.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 $29.83

$8.50 ₡3,812

250.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.56 ₡701

-15.38%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

62.50%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-27.79%

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

$157 $157

$95.2 ₡42.7K

65.31%

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

$76.9 $76.9

$35.58 ₡16.0K

116.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.0 $88.0

$58.6 ₡26.3K

50.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.95 $12.95

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-82.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$7.58 ₡3,401

55.54%

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

$1,446 $1,446

$1,001 ₡449.0K

44.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.2K $32.2K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

88.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.83 $45.83

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-34.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 $44.65

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-20.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 $84.4

$130 ₡58.2K

-34.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$131 ₡58.7K

-23.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,017 $2,017

$927 ₡415.8K

117.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,025 $2,025

$774 ₡347.2K

161.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,773 $2,773

$1,967 ₡882.0K

41.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,419 $2,419

$1,288 ₡577.6K

87.79%

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)

$4,440 $4,440

$1,016 ₡455.8K

336.86%

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 Federal Way, WA: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Federal Way, WA

$2K 60.9%

San Jose

$774 40% 61.8% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Federal Way, WA

$421 12.7%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 4.7% $20

Eating Out

Federal Way, WA

$373 11.2%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 38.6% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Federal Way, WA

$322 9.7%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 41.2% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Federal Way, WA

$124 3.7%

San Jose

$174 9% 40.5% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Federal Way, WA

$37 1.1%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 141% $51

Getting Around

Federal Way, WA

$22 * 0.7%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 280% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,017 in Federal Way, WA versus $927 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 337% higher in Federal Way, 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 $76.0 in Federal Way, WA versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $421 vs $401 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Federal Way, WA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

01:45 1:45 AM

1 h ahead of Federal Way, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,030

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

Federal Way, WA San Jose 5,490 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Federal Way, 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

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

Yes – Federal Way, WA is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,985 per month in Federal Way, WA and $2,907 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 $3,324 in Federal Way, WA and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 72%.

Kindergarten costs $1,446 per month in Federal Way, WA and $1,001 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 $1,938, than in Federal Way, WA at $3,324. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Federal Way, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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