Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manitowoc, WI and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,482 in Manitowoc, WI, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Manitowoc, WI
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Manitowoc, WI Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Manitowoc, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,482

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,482 per month in Manitowoc, WI vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Manitowoc, WI $2,482
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,595 per month in Manitowoc, WI vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Manitowoc, WI $3,595
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,708 per month in Manitowoc, WI vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Manitowoc, WI $4,708
San Jose $3,929

Manitowoc, WI costs about 29% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manitowoc, WI and San Jose sit above the global median – Manitowoc, WI by 83%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.59 $21.59

$12.29 ₡5,513

75.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.3 $91.3

$62.3 ₡27.9K

46.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.04 $13.04

$11.53 ₡5,171

13.10%

Cappuccino

$5.58 $5.58

$4.35 ₡1,953

28.28%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$2.64 ₡1,183

2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.86 ₡836

24.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 $7.13

$3.32 ₡1,490

114.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.97 $8.97

$4.52 ₡2,026

98.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$2.39 ₡1,073

-67.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.08 ₡1,381

-5.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.50 ₡1,119

105.20%

Eggs

$1.63 $1.63

$3.48 ₡1,562

-53.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$10.74 ₡4,815

20.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$10.32 ₡4,629

-42.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.51 $15.51

$14.10 ₡6,325

10.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$5.03 ₡2,256

2.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.59 ₡714

21.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$4.84 ₡2,171

-16.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.96 ₡1,776

22.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.76 ₡1,684

-26.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.73 ₡1,674

-25.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.08 ₡485

108.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.25 ₡1,456

-8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.93 $9.93

$5.86 ₡2,627

69.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.97 $9.97

$20.28 ₡9,095

-50.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.90 ₡1,300

-8.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.73 ₡1,673

-9.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.08 ₡486

109.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.50 ₡1,123

33.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.63 ₡732

-15.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.65 $24.65

$8.71 ₡3,904

183.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.58 ₡709

-31.65%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

4.65%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-36.72%

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

$121 $121

$93.7 ₡42.0K

29.57%

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

$69.4 $69.4

$35.42 ₡15.9K

95.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 $60.3

$60.0 ₡26.9K

0.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.65 $40.65

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-44.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.91 $11.91

$7.74 ₡3,471

53.88%

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

$1,654 $1,654

$1,005 ₡450.9K

64.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

84.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-9.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-7.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$128 ₡57.5K

-21.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 $146

$130 ₡58.5K

12.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 $1,689

$932 ₡418.0K

81.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 $1,275

$760 ₡340.8K

67.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,553 $2,553

$1,922 ₡862.0K

32.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,883 $1,883

$1,276 ₡572.1K

47.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,901 $2,901

$2,301 ₡1.0M

26.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,458 $2,458

$1,833 ₡821.9K

34.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,524 $3,524

$1,029 ₡461.3K

242.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

8.62

-24.59%

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

Last update for Manitowoc, WI: October 18, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manitowoc, WI

$1.3K 51.4%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 40.4% $515

Groceries & Markets

Manitowoc, WI

$356 14.3%

San Jose

$403 21% 13.4% $48

Eating Out

Manitowoc, WI

$353 14.2%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 35.1% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manitowoc, WI

$251 10.1%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 24.7% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Manitowoc, WI

$164 6.6%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 6.4% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Manitowoc, WI

$64 2.6%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 36.6% $24

Getting Around

Manitowoc, WI

$19 * 0.8%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 318% $61

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,689 in Manitowoc, WI 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 243% higher in Manitowoc, WI, 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 $91.0 in Manitowoc, WI versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $356 in Manitowoc, WI vs $403 in San Jose – so Manitowoc, WI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Manitowoc, WI

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

00:58 12:58 AM

23:58 11:58 PM

1 h behind Manitowoc, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,635

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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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Highest

Between locations

Manitowoc, WI San Jose 3,810 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Manitowoc, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,482 in Manitowoc, WI, $1,924 in San Jose – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,723 per month in Manitowoc, WI and $2,886 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Manitowoc, WI and $62.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Manitowoc, WI – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Manitowoc, WI at $2,482. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manitowoc, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,924 in San Jose to $2,482 in Manitowoc, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Manitowoc, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.