Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kennewick, WA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,696 in Kennewick, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kennewick, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Kennewick, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,696
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,924
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,696 per month in Kennewick, WA vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Kennewick, WA $2,696
  • San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $4,078 per month in Kennewick, WA vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Kennewick, WA $4,078
  • San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $5,460 per month in Kennewick, WA vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Kennewick, WA $5,460
  • San Jose $3,929

Kennewick, WA costs about 40% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kennewick, WA and San Jose sit above the global median – Kennewick, WA by 99%, San Jose by 42%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kennewick, WA
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.80 $21.80
$12.29 ₡5,513
77.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.3 $88.3
$62.3 ₡27.9K
41.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.11 $12.11
$11.53 ₡5,171
5.03%
Cappuccino
$5.90 $5.90
$4.35 ₡1,953
35.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 $2.45
$2.64 ₡1,183
-7.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 $1.93
$1.86 ₡836
3.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.01 $8.01
$3.32 ₡1,490
141.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.12 $8.12
$4.52 ₡2,026
79.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kennewick, WA
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.97 $0.97
$2.39 ₡1,073
-59.41%
White Bread (500g)
$2.77 $2.77
$3.08 ₡1,381
-10.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.91 $1.91
$2.50 ₡1,119
-23.60%
Eggs
$3.55 $3.55
$3.48 ₡1,562
2.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.35 $8.35
$10.74 ₡4,815
-22.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.55 $17.55
$10.32 ₡4,629
70.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.91 $15.91
$14.10 ₡6,325
12.84%
Apples (1kg)
$4.21 $4.21
$5.03 ₡2,256
-16.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.32 $1.32
$1.59 ₡714
-16.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.90 $1.90
$4.84 ₡2,171
-60.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 $2.10
$3.96 ₡1,776
-46.97%
Potato (1kg)
$2.45 $2.45
$3.76 ₡1,684
-34.84%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 $2.36
$3.73 ₡1,674
-36.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.96 $1.96
$1.08 ₡485
81.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.51 $2.51
$3.25 ₡1,456
-22.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.34 $11.34
$5.86 ₡2,627
93.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.20 $15.20
$20.28 ₡9,095
-25.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.47 $3.47
$2.90 ₡1,300
19.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.33 $5.33
$3.73 ₡1,673
42.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Kennewick, WA
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.08 ₡486
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$65.5 ₡29.4K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.14 $5.14
$2.50 ₡1,123
105.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.87 $1.87
$1.63 ₡732
14.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.52 $23.52
$8.71 ₡3,904
170.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 $1.22
$1.58 ₡709
-22.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K $34.1K
$33.6K ₡15.1M
1.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$41.7K ₡18.7M
-38.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kennewick, WA
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$310 $310
$93.7 ₡42.0K
230.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$62.6 $62.6
$35.42 ₡15.9K
76.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.4 $67.4
$60.0 ₡26.9K
12.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kennewick, WA
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$25.83 ₡11.6K
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.22 $15.22
$7.74 ₡3,471
96.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kennewick, WA
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,723 $1,723
$1,005 ₡450.9K
71.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.5K $24.5K
$16.9K ₡7.6M
45.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kennewick, WA
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60.8 $60.8
$73.1 ₡32.8K
-16.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.11 $42.11
$55.4 ₡24.9K
-24.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 $112
$128 ₡57.5K
-12.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 $119
$130 ₡58.5K
-8.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kennewick, WA
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,880 $1,880
$932 ₡418.0K
101.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,330 $1,330
$760 ₡340.8K
75.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,770 $2,770
$1,922 ₡862.0K
44.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,527 $2,527
$1,276 ₡572.1K
98.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,819 $2,819
$2,301 ₡1.0M
22.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,791 $2,791
$1,833 ₡821.9K
52.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kennewick, WA
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,307 $4,307
$1,029 ₡461.3K
318.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.3
8.62
-26.91%

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

Last update for Kennewick, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kennewick, WA
$1.3K
San Jose
$760 42.9% $570
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kennewick, WA
$440
San Jose
$189 57% $251
Groceries & Markets
Kennewick, WA
$375
San Jose
$403 7.4% $28
Eating Out
Kennewick, WA
$355
San Jose
$229 35.6% $127
Clothing & Footwear
Kennewick, WA
$150
San Jose
$174 16% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Kennewick, WA
$30 *
San Jose
$88 189% $58
Getting Around
Kennewick, WA
$14 *
San Jose
$80 455% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,880 in Kennewick, WA versus $932 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 319% higher in Kennewick, 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 $88.0 in Kennewick, WA versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $375 in Kennewick, WA vs $403 in San Jose – so Kennewick, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Kennewick, WA
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
09:17 9:17 AM
10:17 10:17 AM
1 h ahead of Kennewick, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
83,921
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kennewick, WA San Jose 5,220 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kennewick, 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
Kennewick, WA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kennewick, WA or San Jose?
Kennewick, WA costs about 40% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kennewick, WA and in San Jose?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,043 per month in Kennewick, WA and $2,886 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Kennewick, WA or San Jose?
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.
How do dining costs compare in Kennewick, WA and in San Jose?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Kennewick, WA and $62.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Kennewick, WA or in San Jose?
Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Kennewick, WA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Kennewick, WA or in San Jose?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Kennewick, WA at $2,696. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kennewick, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Kennewick, WA or San Jose?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,924 versus $2,696 in Kennewick, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Kennewick, WA compared to San Jose?
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.
Should I move to Kennewick, WA or to San Jose?
If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kennewick, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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