Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Bellevue, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $3,719 in Bellevue, WA, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
181

Cost of Living Index in Bellevue, WA
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Bellevue, WA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Bellevue, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Bellevue, WA

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 Bellevue, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in San Jose versus $3,719 in Bellevue, WA.

San Jose $1,938
Bellevue, WA $3,719

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,936 in San Jose versus $5,673 in Bellevue, WA.

San Jose $2,936
Bellevue, WA $5,673

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,934 in San Jose versus $7,628 in Bellevue, WA.

San Jose $3,934
Bellevue, WA $7,628

Living in San Jose costs roughly 48% less than in Bellevue, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 44% above, Bellevue, WA 175% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$25.37 $25.37

-51.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$102 $102

-40.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$13.04 $13.04

-12.19%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$5.82 $5.82

-24.57%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$3.21 $3.21

-15.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$2.62 $2.62

-26.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$8.07 $8.07

-60.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$8.08 $8.08

-45.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.10 $1.10

121.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$4.86 $4.86

-37.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$6.00 $6.00

-59.83%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$5.55 $5.55

-38.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$16.32 $16.32

-34.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$15.78 $15.78

-33.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$23.03 $23.03

-39.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$5.59 $5.59

-6.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.87 $1.87

-14.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$5.29 $5.29

-11.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$4.53 $4.53

-12.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$2.64 $2.64

48.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$3.18 $3.18

15.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.03 $2.03

-44.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$2.49 $2.49

28.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$12.17 $12.17

-50.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$18.59 $18.59

5.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$2.17 $2.17

29.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$4.76 $4.76

-24.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.80 $2.80

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$106 $106

-37.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.54 $2.54

-1.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.65 $1.65

-1.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$30.32 $30.32

-71.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.44 $1.44

8.33%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$36.7K $36.7K

-39.01%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$25.8K $25.8K

37.86%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$226 $226

-57.84%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$54.0 $54.0

-34.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$65.8 $65.8

-10.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$134 $134

-45.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$39.89 $39.89

-37.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$17.31 $17.31

-56.21%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$1,980 $1,980

-49.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$31.5K $31.5K

-45.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$60.8 $60.8

15.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$44.35 $44.35

25.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$95.8 $95.8

35.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$127 $127

2.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$2,683 $2,683

-65.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$2,041 $2,041

-62.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$5,658 $5,658

-65.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$3,822 $3,822

-66.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$4,604 $4,604

-50.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$4,735 $4,735

-61.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$8,805 $8,805

-88.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.64

29.82%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bellevue, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Bellevue, WA

$2K 54.9% 164% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Bellevue, WA

$495 13.3% 23.6% $94

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Bellevue, WA

$392 10.5% 70.8% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Bellevue, WA

$346 9.3% 82.5% $156

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Bellevue, WA

$148 4% 15.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Bellevue, WA

$169 4.5% 92% $81

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Bellevue, WA

$128 3.5% 56.8% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in San Jose and $2,683 in Bellevue, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bellevue, WA pays 766% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in San Jose vs $102 in Bellevue, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $495 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Bellevue, WA

🕒 Local time

16:28 4:28 PM

15:28 3:28 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

151,854

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Bellevue, WA 5,500 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Bellevue, WA

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 Bellevue, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 766% lower in Bellevue, WA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $927 in San Jose versus $2,683 in Bellevue, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $102 in Bellevue, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,938 per month in San Jose versus $3,719 in Bellevue, WA – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $3,719 in Bellevue, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Bellevue, WA. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Jose is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bellevue, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, San Jose and Bellevue, WA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Bellevue, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.