Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Maple Valley, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,785 in Maple Valley, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Maple Valley, WA
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Maple Valley, WA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Maple Valley, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $2,785 in Maple Valley, WA, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Maple Valley, WA $2,785

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $4,112 in Maple Valley, WA, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Maple Valley, WA $4,112

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $5,439 in Maple Valley, WA, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Maple Valley, WA $5,439

San Jose is about 31% cheaper than Maple Valley, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both San Jose and Maple Valley, WA sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Maple Valley, WA by 106%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,562

$17.24 $17.24

-28.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡28.2K

$81.0 $81.0

-23.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,217

$10.60 $10.60

8.77%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,970

$4.73 $4.73

-8.03%

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

$2.64 ₡1,194

$1.02 $1.02

158.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡843

$2.14 $2.14

-13.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,503

$3.94 $3.94

-15.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,044

$6.92 $6.92

-34.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,082

$1.08 $1.08

121.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,394

$3.64 $3.64

-15.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,129

$4.02 $4.02

-37.81%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,576

$3.88 $3.88

-10.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,857

$13.89 $13.89

-22.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,670

$13.13 $13.13

-21.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,381

$29.74 $29.74

-52.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,276

$5.11 $5.11

-1.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡720

$1.96 $1.96

-18.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,190

$4.09 $4.09

18.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,792

$4.80 $4.80

-17.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,699

$1.95 $1.95

92.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,688

$2.45 $2.45

52.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡489

$2.82 $2.82

-61.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,469

$2.50 $2.50

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,650

$12.23 $12.23

-52.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,176

$16.05 $16.05

26.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,312

$2.06 $2.06

40.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,688

$4.23 $4.23

-11.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡490

$1.76 $1.76

-38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.6K

$47.62 $47.62

37.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,133

$2.97 $2.97

-15.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡738

$1.84 $1.84

-11.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,939

$28.18 $28.18

-69.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡715

$1.35 $1.35

17.04%

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

$33.6K ₡15.2M

$27.8K $27.8K

20.83%

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

$41.7K ₡18.9M

$26.3K $26.3K

58.37%

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

$93.7 ₡42.4K

$121 $121

-22.42%

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

$35.42 ₡16.0K

$72.5 $72.5

-51.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡27.1K

$88.7 $88.7

-32.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.8K

$42.17 $42.17

72.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.7K

$19.95 $19.95

29.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,502

$17.90 $17.90

-56.76%

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

$1,005 ₡454.9K

$1,440 $1,440

-30.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.7M

$33.5K $33.5K

-49.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡33.0K

$49.25 $49.25

48.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡25.1K

$57.0 $57.0

-2.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡58.0K

$104 $104

23.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡59.0K

$135 $135

-3.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡421.7K

$1,599 $1,599

-41.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡343.8K

$1,475 $1,475

-48.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡869.6K

$2,544 $2,544

-24.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡577.2K

$2,413 $2,413

-47.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$2,817 $2,817

-18.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡829.1K

$2,032 $2,032

-9.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡465.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.81

26.58%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Maple Valley, WA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Maple Valley, WA

$1.5K 52.9% 94% $715

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Maple Valley, WA

$456 16.4% 13.1% $53

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Maple Valley, WA

$273 9.8% 19.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Maple Valley, WA

$282 10.1% 49.1% $93

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Maple Valley, WA

$155 5.6% 10.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Maple Valley, WA

$78 2.8% 11.5% $10

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Maple Valley, WA

$67 2.4% 16.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $1,599 in Maple Valley, WA. 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 $62 in San Jose versus $81 in Maple Valley, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $456 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Maple Valley, WA

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

17:45 5:45 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

28,013

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 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 26, 2026: 1 USD = 452 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 507 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Maple Valley, WA 5,480 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,924 in San Jose, $2,785 in Maple Valley, WA – roughly 45% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $4,178 in Maple Valley, 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $932 there versus $1,599 in Maple Valley, WA.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Maple Valley, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $81 in Maple Valley, WA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Maple Valley, WA at $2,785. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Maple Valley, 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.