Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Federal Way, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $3,324 in Federal Way, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 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
162

Cost of Living Index in Federal Way, WA
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Federal Way, WA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Federal Way, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,324

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $3,324 in Federal Way, WA, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Federal Way, WA $3,324

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $4,324 in Federal Way, WA, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Federal Way, WA $4,324

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $5,324 in Federal Way, WA, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Federal Way, WA $5,324

San Jose is about 42% cheaper than Federal Way, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Federal Way, WA sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, Federal Way, WA by 146%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$24.74 $24.74

-49.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$76.1 $76.1

-20.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$12.56 $12.56

-8.84%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$5.82 $5.82

-24.57%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$2.93 $2.93

-7.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$1.67 $1.67

15.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$7.06 $7.06

-54.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$7.12 $7.12

-38.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.09 $1.09

123.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$4.07 $4.07

-25.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$3.05 $3.05

-20.98%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$5.09 $5.09

-33.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$16.26 $16.26

-33.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$10.51 $10.51

-0.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$19.36 $19.36

-27.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$5.13 $5.13

2.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.58 $1.58

0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$4.31 $4.31

8.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$4.64 $4.64

-14.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$2.69 $2.69

45.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$2.39 $2.39

53.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.23 $2.23

-49.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$2.61 $2.61

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$13.08 $13.08

-54.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$15.19 $15.19

28.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.71 $1.71

64.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$4.84 $4.84

-25.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.65 $2.65

-57.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.63 $2.63

-4.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.67 $1.67

-2.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$29.83 $29.83

-71.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.32 $1.32

18.18%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$36.4K $36.4K

-38.46%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$25.7K $25.7K

38.48%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$157 $157

-39.51%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$76.9 $76.9

-53.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$88.0 $88.0

-33.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$12.95 $12.95

461.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$11.79 $11.79

-35.71%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$1,446 $1,446

-30.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$32.2K $32.2K

-46.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$45.83 $45.83

53.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$44.65 $44.65

25.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$84.4 $84.4

53.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$100 $100

30.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$2,017 $2,017

-54.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$2,025 $2,025

-61.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$2,773 $2,773

-29.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$2,419 $2,419

-46.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$4,440 $4,440

-77.11%

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 Federal Way, WA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Federal Way, WA

$2K 60.9% 162% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Federal Way, WA

$421 12.7% 4.9% $20

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Federal Way, WA

$373 11.2% 62.8% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Federal Way, WA

$322 9.7% 70.1% $133

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Federal Way, WA

$124 3.7% 28.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Federal Way, WA

$37 1.1% 58.4% $51

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Federal Way, WA

$22 * 0.7% 73.7% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $2,017 in Federal Way, WA. 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 337% higher in Federal Way, 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 $61.0 in San Jose versus $76.0 in Federal Way, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $421 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Federal Way, WA

🕒 Local time

02:23 2:23 AM

01:23 1:23 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

101,030

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Federal Way, WA 5,490 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Federal Way, 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 Federal Way, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Federal Way, WA is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $4,985 in Federal Way, WA. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,938 in San Jose and $3,324 in Federal Way, WA. That's a gap of about 72%.

Kindergarten costs $1,001 per month in San Jose and $1,446 in Federal Way, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Federal Way, WA at $3,324. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Federal Way, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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, Federal Way, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.