Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Williams Lake, BC

For one person, living costs are similar in San Jose and in Williams Lake, BC: $1,924 and $2,019 a month, rent and utilities included.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Williams Lake, BC
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Williams Lake, BC Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Williams Lake, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,019

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Williams Lake, BC

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 Williams Lake, BC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $2,019 in Williams Lake, BC, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Williams Lake, BC $2,019

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $2,916 in Williams Lake, BC, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Williams Lake, BC $2,916

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $3,814 in Williams Lake, BC, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Williams Lake, BC $3,814

San Jose is about 5% cheaper than Williams Lake, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Williams Lake, BC sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Williams Lake, BC by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$17.93 CA$25.35

-31.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$65.2 CA$92.1

-4.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$10.44 CA$14.76

10.44%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$3.67 CA$5.20

18.53%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.05 CA$2.90

28.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$1.66 CA$2.35

12.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$4.59 CA$6.48

-27.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$5.55 CA$7.84

-18.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$2.36 CA$3.34

1.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$2.50 CA$3.54

23.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$3.24 CA$4.58

-22.84%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$3.44 CA$4.87

1.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$10.27 CA$14.52

4.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$11.37 CA$16.07

-9.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$15.27 CA$21.59

-7.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$3.80 CA$5.37

32.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.29 CA$1.82

23.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$3.61 CA$5.11

34.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$3.85 CA$5.44

2.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$2.47 CA$3.49

52.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.27 CA$3.21

64.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.35 CA$3.32

-54.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$1.43 CA$2.02

127.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$13.95 CA$19.72

-57.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$12.48 CA$17.65

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.68 CA$3.79

8.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$3.51 CA$4.96

6.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$2.33 CA$3.29

-53.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

$61.3 CA$86.7

6.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$3.32 CA$4.70

-24.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.54 CA$2.18

5.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$23.03 CA$32.56

-62.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$1.22 CA$1.72

29.51%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$26.7K CA$37.8K

25.75%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$21.0K CA$29.7K

98.57%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$135 CA$190

-30.42%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$32.15 CA$45.44

10.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$83.4 CA$118

-28.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$41.37 CA$58.5

75.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

$19.29 CA$27.28

33.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$10.78 CA$15.24

-28.20%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$614 CA$868

63.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$14.5K CA$20.6K

16.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$52.9 CA$74.8

38.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$39.15 CA$55.3

41.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$95.9 CA$136

33.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$93.6 CA$132

39.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$935 CA$1,322

-0.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$876 CA$1,239

-13.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$1,340 CA$1,895

43.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$1,257 CA$1,777

1.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$3,904 CA$5,520

-41.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$3,349 CA$4,734

-45.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$3,103 CA$4,387

-66.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.67

84.58%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Williams Lake, BC: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Williams Lake, BC

$876 43.4% 15.3% $116

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Williams Lake, BC

$353 17.5% 12.4% $50

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Williams Lake, BC

$268 13.3% 17% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Williams Lake, BC

$250 12.4% 32.3% $61

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Williams Lake, BC

$127 6.3% 27.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Williams Lake, BC

$63 3.1% 28.6% $25

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Williams Lake, BC

$82 4.1% 1.5% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $935 in Williams Lake, BC. 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 202% higher in Williams Lake, BC, 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 $62.0 in San Jose versus $65.0 in Williams Lake, BC. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $353 in Williams Lake, BC – so Williams Lake, BC wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Williams Lake, BC

🕒 Local time

16:43 4:43 PM

15:43 3:43 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

10,753

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Williams Lake, BC 5,810 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Williams Lake, BC

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 Williams Lake, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Williams Lake, BC 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 $3,028 in Williams Lake, BC. 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 $62.0 in San Jose and $65.0 in Williams Lake, BC. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,924 in San Jose and $2,019 in Williams Lake, BC. That's a gap of about 5%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Williams Lake, BC at $2,019. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Williams Lake, BC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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