Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Wilkes-Barre, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Wilkes-Barre, PA: $1,883 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Wilkes-Barre, PA
Learn more

Wilkes-Barre, PA Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Wilkes-Barre, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,883

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Wilkes-Barre, PA

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 Wilkes-Barre, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $1,883 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Wilkes-Barre, PA $1,883

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $2,939 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Wilkes-Barre, PA $2,939

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $3,996 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Wilkes-Barre, PA $3,996

San Jose costs about 12% more than Wilkes-Barre, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both San Jose and Wilkes-Barre, PA sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Wilkes-Barre, PA by 39%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,546

$15.09 $15.09

-18.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$50.4 $50.4

23.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,248

$9.74 $9.74

20.23%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,034

$3.59 $3.59

26.46%

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

$2.75 ₡1,234

$1.03 $1.03

166.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡835

$1.88 $1.88

-1.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,501

$5.11 $5.11

-34.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,938

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,057

$1.18 $1.18

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,375

$3.60 $3.60

-14.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,124

$1.99 $1.99

26.13%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,580

$5.83 $5.83

-39.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,724

$8.29 $8.29

27.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,740

$14.49 $14.49

-27.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,242

$18.93 $18.93

-26.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,331

$3.58 $3.58

45.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡738

$2.21 $2.21

-25.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,191

$5.36 $5.36

-8.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,722

$6.85 $6.85

-43.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,752

$1.78 $1.78

119.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,687

$3.18 $3.18

18.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.27 $2.27

-50.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,443

$1.51 $1.51

113.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,698

$11.74 $11.74

-48.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,892

$15.25 $15.25

30.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,261

$1.72 $1.72

63.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,638

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡485

$1.54 $1.54

-29.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,015

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡797

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,540

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡671

$1.18 $1.18

27.12%

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

$33.5K ₡15.0M

$27.7K $27.7K

20.73%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.4K $26.4K

60.13%

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

$93.2 ₡41.8K

$158 $158

-40.97%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$39.82 $39.82

-9.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$68.6 $68.6

-11.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡30.9K

$49.43 $49.43

39.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,439

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

$972 ₡435.6K

$1,049 $1,049

-7.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$13.0K $13.0K

44.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.7K

$49.96 $49.96

41.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.4K

$39.47 $39.47

43.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.7K

$78.5 $78.5

63.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡524.3K

$1,237 $1,237

-5.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡422.8K

$857 $857

10.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡889.3K

$1,760 $1,760

12.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡627.6K

$1,757 $1,757

-20.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡913.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡442.3K

$4,319 $4,319

-77.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.59

30.80%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Wilkes-Barre, PA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$857 45.5% 9.1% $86

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$398 * 21.2% 1.1% $4.5

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$230 * 12.2% 0.9% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$266 14.1% 40.2% $76

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$76 * 4% 56.6% $98

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$49 * 2.6% 41.3% $35

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$6.2 * 0.3% 92.4% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,237 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Wilkes-Barre, PA are about 4.4 times higher, 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 in San Jose versus $50 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $398 – making Wilkes-Barre, PA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Wilkes-Barre, PA

🕒 Local time

18:26 6:26 PM

19:26 7:26 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

41,288

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 2 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 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 November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 501 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Wilkes-Barre, PA 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Wilkes-Barre, PA

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 Wilkes-Barre, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $2,824 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,170 in San Jose and $1,237 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $50 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $972 per month in San Jose and $1,049 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,883 in Wilkes-Barre, PA to $2,107 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.