Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Ocean Shores, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,105 a month against $2,814 in Ocean Shores, WA, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

San Jose, Costa Rica
Ocean Shores, WA, United States
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,105
/mo nomad
Ocean Shores, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,814
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,105 per month in San Jose vs $2,814 in Ocean Shores, WA, rent included.

  • San Jose $2,105
  • Ocean Shores, WA $2,814

A couple spends around $3,074 per month in San Jose vs $4,147 in Ocean Shores, WA, rent included.

  • San Jose $3,074
  • Ocean Shores, WA $4,147

A family of three spends $4,043 per month in San Jose vs $5,480 in Ocean Shores, WA, rent included.

  • San Jose $4,043
  • Ocean Shores, WA $5,480

San Jose is about 25% cheaper than Ocean Shores, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Ocean Shores, WA sit above the global median – San Jose by 55%, Ocean Shores, WA by 107%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Jose
Ocean Shores, WA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.43 ₡5,609
$24.79 $24.79
-49.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.9 ₡27.5K
$101 $101
-39.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.72 ₡5,288
$15.22 $15.22
-23.00%
Cappuccino
$4.47 ₡2,019
$6.77 $6.77
-33.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 ₡1,241
$3.15 $3.15
-12.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 ₡867
$3.14 $3.14
-38.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.26 ₡1,470
$8.13 $8.13
-59.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.45 ₡2,009
$8.16 $8.16
-45.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Jose
Ocean Shores, WA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.36 ₡1,063
$1.15 $1.15
105.22%
White Bread (500g)
$3.09 ₡1,393
$3.25 $3.25
-4.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.40 ₡1,083
$5.37 $5.37
-55.31%
Eggs
$3.44 ₡1,553
$3.46 $3.46
-0.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.73 ₡4,841
$11.19 $11.19
-4.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.36 ₡4,674
$6.22 $6.22
66.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.84 ₡6,243
$16.50 $16.50
-16.12%
Apples (1kg)
$5.15 ₡2,323
$4.47 $4.47
15.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 ₡746
$1.86 $1.86
-11.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.67 ₡2,109
$3.37 $3.37
38.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.98 ₡1,798
$6.29 $6.29
-36.72%
Potato (1kg)
$3.90 ₡1,761
$3.49 $3.49
11.75%
Onion (1kg)
$3.65 ₡1,647
$3.16 $3.16
15.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ₡487
$1.96 $1.96
-44.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.10 ₡1,398
$1.97 $1.97
57.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.08 ₡2,745
$12.42 $12.42
-51.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.05 ₡9,047
$14.75 $14.75
35.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.77 ₡1,252
$2.18 $2.18
27.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 ₡1,666
$1.98 $1.98
86.36%
🚌 Getting Around
San Jose
Ocean Shores, WA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡503
$1.96 $1.96
-42.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.7 ₡30.1K
$59.7 $59.7
11.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.49 ₡1,122
$2.67 $2.67
-6.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 ₡735
$1.72 $1.72
-5.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 ₡3,821
$29.49 $29.49
-71.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.57 ₡708
$1.42 $1.42
10.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.6K ₡15.6M
$37.0K $37.0K
-6.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.3K ₡19.1M
$25.7K $25.7K
64.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose
Ocean Shores, WA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.2 ₡42.0K
$302 $302
-69.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.05 ₡16.3K
$68.6 $68.6
-47.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.1 ₡26.7K
$87.5 $87.5
-32.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Jose
Ocean Shores, WA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$69.0 ₡31.1K
$35.13 $35.13
96.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.80 ₡11.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.85 ₡3,543
$18.30 $18.30
-57.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Jose
Ocean Shores, WA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$996 ₡449.4K
$2,796 $2,796
-64.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.0K ₡7.7M
$31.0K $31.0K
-44.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Jose
Ocean Shores, WA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.1 ₡31.6K
$80.0 $80.0
-12.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.2 ₡24.9K
$55.3 $55.3
-0.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$130 ₡58.5K
$127 $127
1.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 ₡59.2K
$160 $160
-18.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Jose
Ocean Shores, WA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,164 ₡525.2K
$1,413 $1,413
-17.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$945 ₡426.4K
$1,244 $1,244
-24.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 ₡899.4K
$2,604 $2,604
-23.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,404 ₡633.4K
$2,071 $2,071
-32.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,727 ₡1.2M
$2,770 $2,770
-1.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,040 ₡920.7K
$2,491 $2,491
-18.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Jose
Ocean Shores, WA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,011 ₡456.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
6.89
25.11%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ocean Shores, WA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Jose
$945
Ocean Shores, WA
$1.2K 31.6% $299
Groceries & Markets
San Jose
$399
Ocean Shores, WA
$365 8.7% $35
Eating Out
San Jose
$232
Ocean Shores, WA
$407 75.5% $175
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose
$188
Ocean Shores, WA
$458 143% $269
Clothing & Footwear
San Jose
$174
Ocean Shores, WA
$190 9.4% $16
Sport & Entertainment
San Jose
$85
Ocean Shores, WA
$72 15.3% $13
Getting Around
San Jose
$82
Ocean Shores, WA
$79 3.6% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,164 in San Jose versus $1,413 in Ocean Shores, 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 $61 in San Jose versus $101 in Ocean Shores, WA. Groceries tell a different story – $399 in San Jose vs $365 in Ocean Shores, WA – so Ocean Shores, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇷 San Jose
🇺🇸 Ocean Shores, WA
🕒 Local time
19:00 7:00 PM
18:00 6:00 PM
1 h behind San Jose
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
342,188 Capital
6,700
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Jose Ocean Shores, WA 5,580 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • San Jose
  • Ocean Shores, 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 Ocean Shores, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Jose cheaper than Ocean Shores, WA?
Yes – Ocean Shores, WA is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,158 per month in San Jose and $4,221 in Ocean Shores, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,164 there versus $1,413 in Ocean Shores, WA.
How do food prices compare in San Jose and in Ocean Shores, WA?
Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Ocean Shores, WA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Is eating out cheaper in San Jose or in Ocean Shores, WA?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in San Jose and $101 in Ocean Shores, WA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in San Jose or in Ocean Shores, WA?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,105, than in Ocean Shores, WA at $2,814. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ocean Shores, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is San Jose or Ocean Shores, WA more family-friendly?
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.

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