Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Lake Oswego, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,466 in Lake Oswego, OR, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lake Oswego, OR outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Lake Oswego, OR
Learn more

Lake Oswego, OR Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Lake Oswego, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,466

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Lake Oswego, OR

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 Lake Oswego, OR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $2,466 in Lake Oswego, OR, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Lake Oswego, OR $2,466

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $3,653 in Lake Oswego, OR, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Lake Oswego, OR $3,653

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $4,840 in Lake Oswego, OR, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Lake Oswego, OR $4,840

San Jose is about 21% cheaper than Lake Oswego, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Lake Oswego, OR sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, Lake Oswego, OR by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$21.65 $21.65

-42.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$88.7 $88.7

-31.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$10.90 $10.90

5.05%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$5.79 $5.79

-24.18%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$3.05 $3.05

-11.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$2.02 $2.02

-4.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$6.53 $6.53

-51.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$5.86 $5.86

-24.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.03 $1.03

136.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$3.99 $3.99

-23.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$5.38 $5.38

-55.20%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$4.35 $4.35

-21.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$11.10 $11.10

-3.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$10.53 $10.53

-0.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$17.40 $17.40

-19.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$3.69 $3.69

42.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.50 $1.50

6.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$2.79 $2.79

68.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$2.57 $2.57

53.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$2.13 $2.13

84.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$1.79 $1.79

105.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.93 $1.93

-41.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.78 $1.78

79.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$11.14 $11.14

-46.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$10.95 $10.95

78.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.76 $1.76

60.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$3.61 $3.61

-0.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.98 $1.98

-43.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$4.51 $4.51

-44.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$0.74 $0.74

120.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$23.86 $23.86

-64.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.25 $1.25

24.80%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$34.1K $34.1K

-34.27%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$24.2K $24.2K

46.82%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$151 $151

-36.75%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$46.45 $46.45

-23.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$63.5 $63.5

-7.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$42.10 $42.10

72.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$14.83 $14.83

-48.89%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$1,352 $1,352

-25.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$12.1K $12.1K

41.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$40.20 $40.20

75.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$30.33 $30.33

84.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$85.9 $85.9

51.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$83.9 $83.9

55.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$1,586 $1,586

-41.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$1,313 $1,313

-41.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$2,506 $2,506

-21.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$2,165 $2,165

-40.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$2,743 $2,743

-17.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$2,429 $2,429

-24.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.67

29.24%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lake Oswego, OR: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Lake Oswego, OR

$1.3K 53.3% 69.6% $539

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Lake Oswego, OR

$356 14.4% 11.3% $45

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Lake Oswego, OR

$340 13.8% 48.3% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Lake Oswego, OR

$260 10.6% 37.5% $71

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Lake Oswego, OR

$108 4.4% 37.9% $66

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Lake Oswego, OR

$72 2.9% 18.3% $16

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Lake Oswego, OR

$16 * 0.7% 80.3% $66

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 $1,586 in Lake Oswego, OR. 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 $61.0 in San Jose versus $89.0 in Lake Oswego, OR. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in San Jose vs $356 in Lake Oswego, OR – so Lake Oswego, OR wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Lake Oswego, OR

🕒 Local time

15:57 3:57 PM

14:57 2:57 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

40,731

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Lake Oswego, OR 5,390 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Lake Oswego, OR

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 Lake Oswego, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lake Oswego, OR is pricier by about 27%, 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 $3,698 in Lake Oswego, OR. 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 $2,466 in Lake Oswego, OR. That's a gap of about 27%.

Kindergarten costs $1,001 per month in San Jose and $1,352 in Lake Oswego, OR. 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 Lake Oswego, OR at $2,466. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lake Oswego, OR 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.

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