Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Stevens Point, WI

For one person, living costs are similar in San Jose and in Stevens Point, WI: $1,924 and $1,837 a month, rent and utilities included.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Stevens Point, WI
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Stevens Point, WI Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Stevens Point, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $1,837 in Stevens Point, WI, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Stevens Point, WI $1,837

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $2,518 in Stevens Point, WI, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Stevens Point, WI $2,518

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $3,200 in Stevens Point, WI, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Stevens Point, WI $3,200

San Jose costs about 5% more than Stevens Point, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Stevens Point, WI sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Stevens Point, WI by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$15.77 $15.77

-22.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$66.7 $66.7

-6.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$9.89 $9.89

16.58%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$4.57 $4.57

-4.81%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.54 $2.54

3.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$1.86 $1.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$3.95 $3.95

-15.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$5.54 $5.54

-18.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$0.91 $0.91

162.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$2.15 $2.15

43.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.14 $2.14

16.82%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$3.63 $3.63

-4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$10.41 $10.41

3.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$9.02 $9.02

14.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$10.80 $10.80

30.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$4.42 $4.42

13.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.35 $1.35

17.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$2.16 $2.16

124.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$3.39 $3.39

16.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$1.67 $1.67

125.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$4.12 $4.12

-9.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.36 $2.36

-54.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$1.54 $1.54

111.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$8.20 $8.20

-28.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$9.89 $9.89

105.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.86 $2.86

1.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$1.78 $1.78

109.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$5.14 $5.14

-51.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.72 $1.72

-5.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$23.55 $23.55

-63.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$0.87 $0.87

81.61%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$25.0K $25.0K

34.47%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$25.5K $25.5K

63.62%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$177 $177

-47.08%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$25.36 $25.36

39.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$67.8 $67.8

-11.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$67.0 $67.0

8.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

$44.09 $44.09

-41.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$9.15 $9.15

-15.41%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$792 $792

26.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$35.7K $35.7K

-52.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$39.97 $39.97

82.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$39.82 $39.82

39.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$60.0 $60.0

113.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$81.4 $81.4

60.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$948 $948

-1.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$812 $812

-6.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$889 $889

116.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$903 $903

41.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$2,010 $2,010

14.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$1,966 $1,966

-6.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$3,040 $3,040

-66.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.35

35.75%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Stevens Point, WI: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Stevens Point, WI

$812 44.2% 6.8% $52

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Stevens Point, WI

$297 16.2% 26.3% $106

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Stevens Point, WI

$259 14.1% 13.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Stevens Point, WI

$270 14.7% 42.9% $81

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Stevens Point, WI

$100 5.4% 42.9% $75

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Stevens Point, WI

$85 4.6% 3.2% $2.8

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Stevens Point, WI

$14 * 0.8% 82.9% $67

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 $948 in Stevens Point, 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 196% higher in Stevens Point, WI, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in San Jose versus $67.0 in Stevens Point, WI. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $297 in Stevens Point, WI – so Stevens Point, WI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Stevens Point, WI

🕒 Local time

14:26 2:26 PM

15:26 3:26 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

25,666

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Stevens Point, WI 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $2,755 in Stevens Point, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stevens Point, WI, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,924 in San Jose and $1,837 in Stevens Point, WI. That's a gap of about 5%.

Kindergarten costs $1,005 per month in San Jose and $792 in Stevens Point, WI. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Stevens Point, WI, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in San Jose at $1,924. In Stevens Point, WI it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Stevens Point, WI – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Stevens Point, WI. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.