Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Green Bay, WI and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,122 in Green Bay, WI, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Green Bay, WI outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

103

Cost of Living Index in Green Bay, WI
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Green Bay, WI Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Green Bay, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,122

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,122 in Green Bay, WI versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Green Bay, WI $2,122
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,957 in Green Bay, WI versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Green Bay, WI $2,957
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,792 in Green Bay, WI versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Green Bay, WI $3,792
San Jose $3,934

Living in Green Bay, WI is roughly 9% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Green Bay, WI 57% above, San Jose 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.17 $14.17

$12.38 ₡5,551

14.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.6 $59.6

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-2.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.71 $8.71

$11.45 ₡5,135

-23.93%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.39 ₡1,967

24.60%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$2.70 ₡1,211

-5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.93 ₡864

-3.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.20 ₡1,433

26.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 $5.86

$4.41 ₡1,979

32.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$2.44 ₡1,093

-66.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.05 ₡1,369

-10.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$2.41 ₡1,081

109.54%

Eggs

$3.62 $3.62

$3.40 ₡1,523

6.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 $13.09

$10.75 ₡4,823

21.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 $10.61

$10.43 ₡4,679

1.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.25 $10.25

$13.99 ₡6,273

-26.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$5.25 ₡2,353

-6.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.59 ₡712

4.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$4.69 ₡2,103

-16.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.95 ₡1,770

9.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.92 ₡1,760

-45.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.68 ₡1,651

-9.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.12 ₡503

81.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$3.19 ₡1,429

-35.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.98 $9.98

$6.00 ₡2,692

66.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.69 $19.69

$19.56 ₡8,771

0.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.82 ₡1,263

-27.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.59 ₡1,611

5.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.12 ₡503

76.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.86 $39.86

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-40.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.56 ₡701

-37.18%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

60.43%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-28.63%

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

$175 $175

$95.2 ₡42.7K

84.30%

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

$39.94 $39.94

$35.58 ₡16.0K

12.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 $51.5

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-12.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 $53.2

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-26.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$11.80 $11.80

$7.58 ₡3,401

55.67%

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

$1,491 $1,491

$1,001 ₡449.0K

48.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-20.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.50 $34.50

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-38.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 $89.0

$130 ₡58.2K

-31.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 $1,373

$927 ₡415.8K

48.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 $1,027

$774 ₡347.2K

32.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,064 $2,064

$1,967 ₡882.0K

4.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 $1,417

$1,288 ₡577.6K

10.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,484 $2,484

$2,274 ₡1.0M

9.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,329 $2,329

$1,831 ₡821.0K

27.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,524 $3,524

$1,016 ₡455.8K

246.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.38

8.62

-25.99%

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

Last update for Green Bay, WI: 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

Green Bay, WI

$1K 48.4%

San Jose

$774 40% 24.6% $253

Groceries & Markets

Green Bay, WI

$368 17.3%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 9% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Green Bay, WI

$267 12.6%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 29% $78

Eating Out

Green Bay, WI

$255 12%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 10% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Green Bay, WI

$81 * 3.8%

San Jose

$174 9% 116% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Green Bay, WI

$77 3.6%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 14.3% $11

Getting Around

Green Bay, WI

$48 * 2.3%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 71.5% $34

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 $1,373 in Green Bay, WI and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Green Bay, WI pays 247% 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: $60.0 in Green Bay, WI vs $61.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $401 per month, with Green Bay, WI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Green Bay, WI

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

15:57 3:57 PM

1 h behind Green Bay, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,412

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 →

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Between locations

Green Bay, WI San Jose 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Green Bay, 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

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

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in eating out. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 247% higher in Green Bay, WI, 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: $1,373 in Green Bay, WI versus $927 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,122 per month in Green Bay, WI versus $1,938 in San Jose – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Jose runs roughly 68% less than in Green Bay, WI. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,122 in Green Bay, WI, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Green Bay, WI. 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 Green Bay, WI, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Green Bay, WI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.