Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maple Valley, WA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,785 in Maple Valley, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Maple Valley, WA, United States
San Jose, Costa Rica
Maple Valley, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,785
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,924
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,785 per month in Maple Valley, WA vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Maple Valley, WA $2,785
  • San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $4,112 per month in Maple Valley, WA vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Maple Valley, WA $4,112
  • San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $5,439 per month in Maple Valley, WA vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Maple Valley, WA $5,439
  • San Jose $3,929

Maple Valley, WA costs about 45% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Maple Valley, WA and San Jose sit above the global median – Maple Valley, WA by 106%, San Jose by 42%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Maple Valley, WA
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.24 $17.24
$12.29 ₡5,562
40.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.0 $81.0
$62.3 ₡28.2K
30.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.60 $10.60
$11.53 ₡5,217
-8.07%
Cappuccino
$4.73 $4.73
$4.35 ₡1,970
8.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02 $1.02
$2.64 ₡1,194
-61.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 $2.14
$1.86 ₡843
15.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.94 $3.94
$3.32 ₡1,503
18.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.92 $6.92
$4.52 ₡2,044
53.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Maple Valley, WA
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$2.39 ₡1,082
-54.81%
White Bread (500g)
$3.64 $3.64
$3.08 ₡1,394
18.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.02 $4.02
$2.50 ₡1,129
60.80%
Eggs
$3.88 $3.88
$3.48 ₡1,576
11.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.89 $13.89
$10.74 ₡4,857
29.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.13 $13.13
$10.32 ₡4,670
27.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$29.74 $29.74
$14.10 ₡6,381
110.92%
Apples (1kg)
$5.11 $5.11
$5.03 ₡2,276
1.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 $1.96
$1.59 ₡720
23.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.09 $4.09
$4.84 ₡2,190
-15.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.80 $4.80
$3.96 ₡1,792
21.21%
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 $1.95
$3.76 ₡1,699
-48.14%
Onion (1kg)
$2.45 $2.45
$3.73 ₡1,688
-34.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.82 $2.82
$1.08 ₡489
161.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$3.25 ₡1,469
-23.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.23 $12.23
$5.86 ₡2,650
108.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.05 $16.05
$20.28 ₡9,176
-20.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.06 $2.06
$2.90 ₡1,312
-28.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.23 $4.23
$3.73 ₡1,688
13.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Maple Valley, WA
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.08 ₡490
62.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$47.62 $47.62
$65.5 ₡29.6K
-27.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.97 $2.97
$2.50 ₡1,133
18.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.84 $1.84
$1.63 ₡738
12.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.18 $28.18
$8.71 ₡3,939
223.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 $1.35
$1.58 ₡715
-14.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K $27.8K
$33.6K ₡15.2M
-17.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K $26.3K
$41.7K ₡18.9M
-36.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maple Valley, WA
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$121 $121
$93.7 ₡42.4K
28.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$72.5 $72.5
$35.42 ₡16.0K
104.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$88.7 $88.7
$60.0 ₡27.1K
47.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Maple Valley, WA
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.17 $42.17
$72.6 ₡32.8K
-41.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.95 $19.95
$25.83 ₡11.7K
-22.76%
Cinema Ticket
$17.90 $17.90
$7.74 ₡3,502
131.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Maple Valley, WA
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,440 $1,440
$1,005 ₡454.9K
43.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$33.5K $33.5K
$16.9K ₡7.7M
97.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Maple Valley, WA
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.25 $49.25
$73.1 ₡33.0K
-32.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.0 $57.0
$55.4 ₡25.1K
2.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 $104
$128 ₡58.0K
-19.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$135 $135
$130 ₡59.0K
3.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Maple Valley, WA
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,599 $1,599
$932 ₡421.7K
71.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,475 $1,475
$760 ₡343.8K
94.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,544 $2,544
$1,922 ₡869.6K
32.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,413 $2,413
$1,276 ₡577.2K
89.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,817 $2,817
$2,301 ₡1.0M
22.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,032 $2,032
$1,833 ₡829.1K
10.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Maple Valley, WA
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,029 ₡465.4K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.81
8.62
-21.00%

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

Last update for Maple Valley, WA: October 17, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Maple Valley, WA
$1.5K
San Jose
$760 48.5% $715
Groceries & Markets
Maple Valley, WA
$456
San Jose
$403 11.6% $53
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maple Valley, WA
$282
San Jose
$189 32.9% $93
Eating Out
Maple Valley, WA
$273
San Jose
$229 16% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Maple Valley, WA
$155
San Jose
$174 12.2% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Maple Valley, WA
$78
San Jose
$88 13% $10
Getting Around
Maple Valley, WA
$67
San Jose
$80 20.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,599 in Maple Valley, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Maple Valley, WA versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $456 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Maple Valley, WA
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
17:44 5:44 PM
18:44 6:44 PM
1 h ahead of Maple Valley, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
28,013
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 452 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 507 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Maple Valley, WA San Jose 5,480 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Maple Valley, 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
Maple Valley, WA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Maple Valley, WA and in San Jose compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,785 in Maple Valley, WA, $1,924 in San Jose – roughly 45% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.
What salary covers living expenses in Maple Valley, WA compared to San Jose?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,178 per month in Maple Valley, WA and $2,886 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Maple Valley, WA and San Jose?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $932 there versus $1,599 in Maple Valley, WA.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 13% more in Maple Valley, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Maple Valley, WA and $62 in San Jose. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Maple Valley, WA at $2,785. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Maple Valley, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Maple Valley, WA or San Jose?
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.

Maple Valley, WA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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