Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Lynnwood, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $3,348 in Lynnwood, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
162

Cost of Living Index in Lynnwood, WA
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Lynnwood, WA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Lynnwood, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,949 in San Jose versus $3,348 in Lynnwood, WA.

San Jose $1,949
Lynnwood, WA $3,348

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,903 in San Jose versus $4,612 in Lynnwood, WA.

San Jose $2,903
Lynnwood, WA $4,612

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,857 in San Jose versus $5,877 in Lynnwood, WA.

San Jose $3,857
Lynnwood, WA $5,877

Living in San Jose costs roughly 42% less than in Lynnwood, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 45% above, Lynnwood, WA 150% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$22.22 $22.22

-45.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$79.2 $79.2

-24.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$11.90 $11.90

-1.09%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$5.54 $5.54

-22.38%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$3.14 $3.14

-13.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$2.43 $2.43

-24.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$6.87 $6.87

-52.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$7.77 $7.77

-43.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$1.10 $1.10

116.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$4.31 $4.31

-27.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$4.35 $4.35

-44.60%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$5.40 $5.40

-35.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$14.86 $14.86

-28.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$14.05 $14.05

-24.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$11.20 $11.20

22.77%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$4.92 $4.92

2.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$1.68 $1.68

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$4.13 $4.13

11.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$4.34 $4.34

-11.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$2.26 $2.26

66.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$2.88 $2.88

30.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$1.73 $1.73

-35.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$1.97 $1.97

62.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$11.89 $11.89

-50.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$18.29 $18.29

7.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$1.77 $1.77

55.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$3.58 $3.58

2.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.93 $2.93

-61.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$2.64 $2.64

-6.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$1.70 $1.70

-9.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$30.09 $30.09

-71.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.39 $1.39

11.51%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$35.8K $35.8K

-39.32%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$25.3K $25.3K

37.93%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$199 $199

-52.45%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$82.4 $82.4

-57.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$65.1 $65.1

-10.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$49.13 $49.13

46.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$16.87 $16.87

-53.59%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$1,929 $1,929

-49.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$31.8K $31.8K

-46.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$49.48 $49.48

44.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$43.83 $43.83

25.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$85.6 $85.6

50.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$104 $104

28.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$2,015 $2,015

-53.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$2,012 $2,012

-61.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$2,625 $2,625

-25.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$2,958 $2,958

-55.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$4,286 $4,286

-76.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.44

33.85%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Lynnwood, WA: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Lynnwood, WA

$2K 60% 161% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Lynnwood, WA

$410 12.2% 2.7% $11

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Lynnwood, WA

$352 10.5% 54.4% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Lynnwood, WA

$347 10.3% 84.1% $158

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Lynnwood, WA

$127 3.8% 27.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Lynnwood, WA

$83 2.5% 5.6% $5

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Lynnwood, WA

$23 * 0.7% 71.3% $57

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $934 in San Jose and $2,015 in Lynnwood, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lynnwood, WA pays 326% 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: $60.0 in San Jose vs $79.0 in Lynnwood, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $410 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Lynnwood, WA

🕒 Local time

09:47 9:47 AM

08:47 8:47 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

38,568

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 11, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Lynnwood, WA 5,520 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Lynnwood, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 326% lower in Lynnwood, 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: $934 in San Jose versus $2,015 in Lynnwood, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $971 in San Jose versus $1,929 in Lynnwood, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $79.0 in Lynnwood, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,949 in San Jose versus $3,348 in Lynnwood, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Lynnwood, WA. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,949 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Jose and Lynnwood, 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 72% less than in Lynnwood, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.