Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moses Lake, WA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,339 in Moses Lake, WA, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Moses Lake, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

113

Cost of Living Index in Moses Lake, WA
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Moses Lake, WA Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Moses Lake, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,339

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,339 per month in Moses Lake, WA vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Moses Lake, WA $2,339
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $3,512 per month in Moses Lake, WA vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Moses Lake, WA $3,512
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $4,685 per month in Moses Lake, WA vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Moses Lake, WA $4,685
San Jose $3,934

Moses Lake, WA costs about 21% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Moses Lake, WA and San Jose sit above the global median – Moses Lake, WA by 73%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 $18.16

$12.38 ₡5,551

46.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 $79.5

$60.9 ₡27.3K

30.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 $12.17

$11.45 ₡5,135

6.29%

Cappuccino

$4.63 $4.63

$4.39 ₡1,967

5.47%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$2.70 ₡1,211

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.93 ₡864

26.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.20 ₡1,433

38.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$4.41 ₡1,979

86.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 $0.74

$2.44 ₡1,093

-69.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.05 ₡1,369

28.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.41 ₡1,081

75.10%

Eggs

$3.37 $3.37

$3.40 ₡1,523

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 $9.18

$10.75 ₡4,823

-14.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.39 $11.39

$10.43 ₡4,679

9.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 $13.54

$13.99 ₡6,273

-3.22%

Apples (1kg)

$6.08 $6.08

$5.25 ₡2,353

15.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.59 ₡712

5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$4.69 ₡2,103

13.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$3.95 ₡1,770

40.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.92 ₡1,760

-9.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.68 ₡1,651

-12.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.12 ₡503

155.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.19 ₡1,429

-32.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.36 $11.36

$6.00 ₡2,692

89.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$19.56 ₡8,771

-24.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.82 ₡1,263

-36.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 $4.03

$3.59 ₡1,611

12.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.12 ₡503

80.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.50 ₡1,119

-2.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.63 ₡733

-3.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.42 $30.42

$8.50 ₡3,812

257.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.56 ₡701

-28.85%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

37.45%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-28.18%

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

$155 $155

$95.2 ₡42.7K

62.92%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$35.58 ₡16.0K

95.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.6 $76.6

$58.6 ₡26.3K

30.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 $40.77

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-43.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 $11.93

$7.58 ₡3,401

57.39%

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

$1,131 $1,131

$1,001 ₡449.0K

12.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.8K $30.8K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

79.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 $52.3

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-25.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.78 $24.78

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-55.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.41 $47.41

$130 ₡58.2K

-63.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 $81.1

$131 ₡58.7K

-38.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 $1,491

$927 ₡415.8K

60.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 $1,173

$774 ₡347.2K

51.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 $2,281

$1,967 ₡882.0K

15.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,046 $2,046

$1,288 ₡577.6K

58.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 $2,678

$2,274 ₡1.0M

17.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,822 $2,822

$1,831 ₡821.0K

54.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,110 $9,110

$1,016 ₡455.8K

796.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

8.62

-20.53%

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

Last update for Moses Lake, 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

Moses Lake, WA

$1.2K 50.1%

San Jose

$774 40% 34% $398

Groceries & Markets

Moses Lake, WA

$393 16.8%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 2.2% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moses Lake, WA

$301 12.9%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 37.1% $112

Eating Out

Moses Lake, WA

$298 12.7%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 23% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Moses Lake, WA

$93 4%

San Jose

$174 9% 88.2% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Moses Lake, WA

$65 2.8%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 35.9% $23

Getting Around

Moses Lake, WA

$18 * 0.8%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 347% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,491 in Moses Lake, 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 796% higher in Moses Lake, 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 $80.0 in Moses Lake, WA versus $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $393 in Moses Lake, WA vs $401 in San Jose – so Moses Lake, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Moses Lake, WA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

03:44 3:44 AM

04:44 4:44 AM

1 h ahead of Moses Lake, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,146

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

Moses Lake, WA San Jose 5,300 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Moses Lake, 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

Moses Lake, WA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moses Lake, WA costs about 21% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,509 per month in Moses Lake, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Moses Lake, WA and $61.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Moses Lake, WA – 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 $1,938, than in Moses Lake, WA at $2,339. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moses Lake, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,938 versus $2,339 in Moses Lake, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Moses Lake, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.