Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Moses Lake, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,339 in Moses Lake, WA, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Moses Lake, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Moses Lake, WA
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Moses Lake, WA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Moses Lake, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $2,339 in Moses Lake, WA, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Moses Lake, WA $2,339

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $3,512 in Moses Lake, WA, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Moses Lake, WA $3,512

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $4,685 in Moses Lake, WA, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Moses Lake, WA $4,685

San Jose is about 17% cheaper than Moses Lake, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both San Jose and Moses Lake, WA sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, Moses Lake, WA by 73%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$18.16 $18.16

-31.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$79.5 $79.5

-23.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$12.17 $12.17

-5.92%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$4.63 $4.63

-5.18%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$2.97 $2.97

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$2.45 $2.45

-21.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$4.42 $4.42

-27.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$8.23 $8.23

-46.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$0.74 $0.74

229.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$3.93 $3.93

-22.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$4.22 $4.22

-42.89%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$3.37 $3.37

0.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$9.18 $9.18

17.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$11.39 $11.39

-8.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$13.54 $13.54

3.32%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$6.08 $6.08

-13.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.67 $1.67

-4.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$5.32 $5.32

-11.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$5.55 $5.55

-28.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$3.56 $3.56

10.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$3.21 $3.21

14.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.86 $2.86

-60.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$2.15 $2.15

48.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$11.36 $11.36

-47.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$14.76 $14.76

32.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.80 $1.80

56.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$4.03 $4.03

-10.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.02 $2.02

-44.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.43 $2.43

2.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.57 $1.57

3.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$30.42 $30.42

-72.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.11 $1.11

40.54%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$30.8K $30.8K

-27.25%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$25.6K $25.6K

39.24%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$155 $155

-38.62%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$69.5 $69.5

-48.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$76.6 $76.6

-23.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$40.77 $40.77

78.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$11.93 $11.93

-36.46%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$1,131 $1,131

-11.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$30.8K $30.8K

-44.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$52.3 $52.3

34.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$24.78 $24.78

125.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$47.41 $47.41

173.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$81.1 $81.1

61.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$1,491 $1,491

-37.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$1,173 $1,173

-33.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$2,281 $2,281

-13.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$2,046 $2,046

-37.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$2,678 $2,678

-15.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$2,822 $2,822

-35.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$9,110 $9,110

-88.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.85

25.84%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Moses Lake, WA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Moses Lake, WA

$1.2K 50.1% 51.4% $398

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Moses Lake, WA

$393 16.8% 2.1% $8.5

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Moses Lake, WA

$298 12.7% 29.8% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Moses Lake, WA

$301 12.9% 59% $112

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Moses Lake, WA

$93 4% 46.9% $82

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Moses Lake, WA

$65 2.8% 26.4% $23

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Moses Lake, WA

$18 * 0.8% 77.6% $64

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 $1,491 in Moses Lake, 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 796% higher in Moses Lake, 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 $80.0 in Moses Lake, WA. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in San Jose vs $393 in Moses Lake, WA – so Moses Lake, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Moses Lake, WA

🕒 Local time

04:45 4:45 AM

03:45 3:45 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

25,146

💱 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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San Jose Moses Lake, WA 5,300 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Moses Lake, WA costs about 21% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $3,509 in Moses Lake, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose and $80.0 in Moses Lake, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Moses Lake, WA – 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 $1,938, than in Moses Lake, WA at $2,339. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moses Lake, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,938 versus $2,339 in Moses Lake, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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