Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Manitowoc, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,482 in Manitowoc, WI, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Manitowoc, WI
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Manitowoc, WI Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Manitowoc, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $2,482 in Manitowoc, WI, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Manitowoc, WI $2,482

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $3,595 in Manitowoc, WI, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Manitowoc, WI $3,595

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $4,708 in Manitowoc, WI, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Manitowoc, WI $4,708

San Jose is about 22% cheaper than Manitowoc, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Manitowoc, WI sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Manitowoc, WI by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$21.59 $21.59

-43.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$91.3 $91.3

-31.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$13.04 $13.04

-11.58%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$5.58 $5.58

-22.04%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.70 $2.70

-2.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$2.32 $2.32

-19.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$7.13 $7.13

-53.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$8.97 $8.97

-49.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$0.77 $0.77

210.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$2.90 $2.90

6.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$5.13 $5.13

-51.27%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$1.63 $1.63

113.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$12.98 $12.98

-17.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$5.97 $5.97

72.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$15.51 $15.51

-9.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$5.17 $5.17

-2.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.93 $1.93

-17.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$4.03 $4.03

20.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$4.86 $4.86

-18.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$2.77 $2.77

35.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.78 $2.78

34.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.25 $2.25

-52.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$2.99 $2.99

8.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$9.93 $9.93

-40.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$9.97 $9.97

103.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.65 $2.65

9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$3.36 $3.36

11.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$2.26 $2.26

-52.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$3.33 $3.33

-24.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.37 $1.37

18.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$24.65 $24.65

-64.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$1.08 $1.08

46.30%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$35.2K $35.2K

-4.44%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$26.4K $26.4K

58.03%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$121 $121

-22.82%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$69.4 $69.4

-48.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$60.3 $60.3

-0.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$40.65 $40.65

78.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$11.91 $11.91

-35.01%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,654 $1,654

-39.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$31.1K $31.1K

-45.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$66.1 $66.1

10.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$51.2 $51.2

8.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$100 $100

27.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$146 $146

-10.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$1,689 $1,689

-44.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$1,275 $1,275

-40.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$2,553 $2,553

-24.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$1,883 $1,883

-32.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$2,901 $2,901

-20.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$2,458 $2,458

-25.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$3,524 $3,524

-70.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.5

32.62%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Manitowoc, WI: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Manitowoc, WI

$1.3K 51.4% 67.8% $515

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Manitowoc, WI

$356 14.3% 11.8% $48

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Manitowoc, WI

$353 14.2% 54% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Manitowoc, WI

$251 10.1% 32.8% $62

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Manitowoc, WI

$164 6.6% 6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Manitowoc, WI

$64 2.6% 26.8% $24

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Manitowoc, WI

$19 * 0.8% 76.1% $61

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 $1,689 in Manitowoc, WI. 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 243% higher in Manitowoc, WI, 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 $62.0 in San Jose versus $91.0 in Manitowoc, WI. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $356 in Manitowoc, WI – so Manitowoc, WI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Manitowoc, WI

🕒 Local time

08:44 8:44 AM

09:44 9:44 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

33,635

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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 Manitowoc, WI 3,810 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,924 in San Jose, $2,482 in Manitowoc, WI – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $3,723 in Manitowoc, 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 $91.0 in Manitowoc, WI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Manitowoc, 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 Manitowoc, WI at $2,482. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manitowoc, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,924 in San Jose to $2,482 in Manitowoc, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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