Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Wausau, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Wausau, WI: $1,726 a month against $1,949 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Wausau, WI
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Wausau, WI Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Wausau, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,949 per month in San Jose vs $1,726 in Wausau, WI, rent included.

San Jose $1,949
Wausau, WI $1,726

A couple spends around $2,903 per month in San Jose vs $2,735 in Wausau, WI, rent included.

San Jose $2,903
Wausau, WI $2,735

A family of three spends $3,857 per month in San Jose vs $3,743 in Wausau, WI, rent included.

San Jose $3,857
Wausau, WI $3,743

San Jose costs about 13% more than Wausau, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Wausau, WI sit above the global median – San Jose by 45%, Wausau, WI by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$19.87 $19.87

-38.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$75.2 $75.2

-20.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$8.71 $8.71

35.13%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$4.85 $4.85

-11.34%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$2.82 $2.82

-3.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.94 $1.94

-5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$5.62 $5.62

-41.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$5.42 $5.42

-19.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$0.85 $0.85

180.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$2.84 $2.84

9.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$5.26 $5.26

-54.18%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$4.66 $4.66

-25.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$8.62 $8.62

22.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$6.80 $6.80

55.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$13.53 $13.53

1.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$4.17 $4.17

20.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$1.53 $1.53

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$4.02 $4.02

14.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$4.10 $4.10

-6.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$1.86 $1.86

102.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$2.44 $2.44

54.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$2.25 $2.25

-50.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$0.99 $0.99

223.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$8.60 $8.60

-32.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$8.92 $8.92

121.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$1.95 $1.95

41.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$2.20 $2.20

66.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$2.76 $2.76

-10.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$1.58 $1.58

-2.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$20.77 $20.77

-59.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$0.81 $0.81

91.36%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$36.3K $36.3K

-40.27%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$25.0K $25.0K

39.74%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$157 $157

-39.82%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$68.3 $68.3

-48.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$71.5 $71.5

-18.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$30.56 $30.56

136.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$5.93 $5.93

32.04%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$1,806 $1,806

-46.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$24.6K $24.6K

-30.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$24.53 $24.53

191.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$40.50 $40.50

35.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$65.8 $65.8

96.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$83.5 $83.5

59.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$928 $928

0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$698 $698

10.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$1,565 $1,565

24.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$1,398 $1,398

-5.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$1,662 $1,662

36.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$1,714 $1,714

4.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$3,486 $3,486

-71.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.65

29.62%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Wausau, WI: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Wausau, WI

$698 39.8% 9.4% $73

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Wausau, WI

$307 17.5% 23.1% $92

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Wausau, WI

$301 17.2% 32.1% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Wausau, WI

$297 17% 57.8% $109

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Wausau, WI

$96 5.5% 44.9% $78

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Wausau, WI

$42 2.4% 51.7% $45

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Wausau, WI

$11 * 0.6% 86.7% $69

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $934 in San Jose versus $928 in Wausau, 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 246% higher in Wausau, 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 $60.0 in San Jose versus $75.0 in Wausau, WI. Groceries tell a different story – $399 in San Jose vs $307 in Wausau, WI – so Wausau, WI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Wausau, WI

🕒 Local time

12:11 12:11 PM

13:11 1:11 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

38,435

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 12, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Wausau, WI 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,924 per month in San Jose and $2,589 in Wausau, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wausau, 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 $1,949 in San Jose and $1,726 in Wausau, WI. That's a gap of about 13%.

Kindergarten costs $971 per month in San Jose and $1,806 in Wausau, WI. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Wausau, WI, where all-in costs run around $1,726, than in San Jose at $1,949. In Wausau, WI it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wausau, 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 Wausau, 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.