Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Ashland, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,514 in Ashland, WI, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ashland, WI outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Ashland, WI
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Ashland, WI Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Ashland, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,514

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Ashland, WI

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Jose and in Ashland, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $2,514 in Ashland, WI, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Ashland, WI $2,514

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $3,751 in Ashland, WI, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Ashland, WI $3,751

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $4,988 in Ashland, WI, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Ashland, WI $4,988

San Jose is about 23% cheaper than Ashland, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Jose and Ashland, WI sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Ashland, WI by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$15.40 $15.40

-20.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$67.8 $67.8

-8.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$9.99 $9.99

15.42%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$5.21 $5.21

-16.51%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$3.02 $3.02

-12.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$2.63 $2.63

-29.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$5.91 $5.91

-43.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$7.67 $7.67

-41.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$0.90 $0.90

165.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$3.95 $3.95

-22.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$3.48 $3.48

-28.16%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$3.07 $3.07

13.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$9.84 $9.84

9.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$9.54 $9.54

8.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$13.52 $13.52

4.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$4.84 $4.84

3.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.11 $1.11

43.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$6.18 $6.18

-21.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$5.01 $5.01

-20.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$3.82 $3.82

-1.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$3.52 $3.52

5.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$1.98 $1.98

-45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$1.76 $1.76

84.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$12.99 $12.99

-54.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$14.59 $14.59

39.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.68 $1.68

72.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$3.56 $3.56

4.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$1.76 $1.76

-38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$2.48 $2.48

0.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.51 $1.51

7.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$30.58 $30.58

-71.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$1.03 $1.03

53.40%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$27.6K $27.6K

21.63%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$26.4K $26.4K

57.99%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$232 $232

-59.69%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$51.2 $51.2

-30.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$64.6 $64.6

-7.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$41.22 $41.22

76.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$12.94 $12.94

-40.19%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,451 $1,451

-30.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$27.5K $27.5K

-38.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$42.18 $42.18

73.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$40.12 $40.12

38.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$79.8 $79.8

60.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$111 $111

17.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$1,802 $1,802

-48.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$1,310 $1,310

-41.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$2,314 $2,314

-16.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$2,404 $2,404

-46.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$2,475 $2,475

-7.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$2,127 $2,127

-13.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.31

36.61%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ashland, WI: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Ashland, WI

$1.3K 52.1% 72.4% $550

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Ashland, WI

$365 14.5% 9.4% $38

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Ashland, WI

$283 11.3% 23.7% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Ashland, WI

$348 13.9% 84.2% $159

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Ashland, WI

$123 4.9% 29.5% $51

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Ashland, WI

$67 2.7% 23.8% $21

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Ashland, WI

$17 * 0.7% 78.7% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $1,802 in Ashland, WI. 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 $62.0 in San Jose versus $68.0 in Ashland, WI. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $365 in Ashland, WI – so Ashland, WI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Ashland, WI

🕒 Local time

18:26 6:26 PM

19:26 7:26 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

21,684

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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San Jose Ashland, WI 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Ashland, WI

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

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

Ashland, WI costs about 31% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $3,771 in Ashland, WI. 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 $62.0 in San Jose and $68.0 in Ashland, WI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Ashland, 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 Ashland, WI at $2,514. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ashland, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,924 versus $2,514 in Ashland, WI. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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