Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Williamsport, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,197 in Williamsport, PA, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

San Jose, Costa Rica
Williamsport, PA, United States
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,107
/mo nomad
Williamsport, PA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,197
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,197 in Williamsport, PA, rent included.

  • San Jose $2,107
  • Williamsport, PA $2,197

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,203 in Williamsport, PA, rent included.

  • San Jose $3,081
  • Williamsport, PA $3,203

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,210 in Williamsport, PA, rent included.

  • San Jose $4,054
  • Williamsport, PA $4,210

San Jose is about 4% cheaper than Williamsport, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Williamsport, PA sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Williamsport, PA by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Jose
Williamsport, PA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.37 ₡5,563
$18.73 $18.73
-33.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.4 ₡28.0K
$60.6 $60.6
3.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.71 ₡5,264
$10.18 $10.18
15.03%
Cappuccino
$4.54 ₡2,040
$4.93 $4.93
-7.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 ₡1,238
$2.06 $2.06
33.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 ₡837
$1.47 $1.47
26.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.35 ₡1,505
$9.05 $9.05
-62.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.32 ₡1,944
$3.04 $3.04
42.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Jose
Williamsport, PA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.36 ₡1,061
$1.31 $1.31
80.15%
White Bread (500g)
$3.07 ₡1,379
$4.38 $4.38
-29.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,128
$5.99 $5.99
-58.10%
Eggs
$3.53 ₡1,585
$6.85 $6.85
-48.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.54 ₡4,738
$14.14 $14.14
-25.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.57 ₡4,754
$10.39 $10.39
1.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.92 ₡6,261
$19.92 $19.92
-30.12%
Apples (1kg)
$5.20 ₡2,338
$5.89 $5.89
-11.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 ₡740
$3.46 $3.46
-52.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.89 ₡2,198
$4.28 $4.28
14.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.84 ₡1,728
$5.32 $5.32
-27.82%
Potato (1kg)
$3.91 ₡1,757
$3.08 $3.08
26.95%
Onion (1kg)
$3.76 ₡1,692
$2.94 $2.94
27.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ₡504
$2.98 $2.98
-62.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.22 ₡1,447
$3.05 $3.05
5.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.02 ₡2,706
$14.98 $14.98
-59.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.84 ₡8,919
$14.88 $14.88
33.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.81 ₡1,264
$1.79 $1.79
56.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.65 ₡1,643
$3.49 $3.49
4.58%
🚌 Getting Around
San Jose
Williamsport, PA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.08 ₡487
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.2 ₡29.3K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.26 ₡1,018
$3.03 $3.03
-25.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.78 ₡799
$2.21 $2.21
-19.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.90 ₡3,551
$42.17 $42.17
-81.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 ₡673
$1.03 $1.03
45.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.5K ₡15.1M
$28.2K $28.2K
18.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.3K ₡19.0M
$25.7K $25.7K
64.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose
Williamsport, PA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.2 ₡41.9K
$172 $172
-45.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.13 ₡16.2K
$51.6 $51.6
-29.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.6 ₡27.2K
$30.18 $30.18
100.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Jose
Williamsport, PA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.9 ₡31.0K
$44.43 $44.43
55.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.94 ₡11.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.67 ₡3,449
$19.87 $19.87
-61.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Jose
Williamsport, PA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$972 ₡436.9K
$1,759 $1,759
-44.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.9K ₡8.5M
$20.4K $20.4K
-7.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Jose
Williamsport, PA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.6 ₡31.8K
$50.1 $50.1
40.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.7 ₡25.5K
$81.1 $81.1
-30.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$129 ₡57.8K
$85.7 $85.7
50.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 ₡58.8K
$104 $104
26.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Jose
Williamsport, PA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 ₡525.9K
$1,290 $1,290
-9.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$943 ₡424.1K
$930 $930
1.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,984 ₡892.0K
$1,574 $1,574
26.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,400 ₡629.5K
$1,398 $1,398
0.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,681 ₡1.2M
$1,420 $1,420
88.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,037 ₡915.8K
$1,434 $1,434
42.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Jose
Williamsport, PA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$987 ₡443.6K
$4,068 $4,068
-75.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
6.72
28.27%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Williamsport, PA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Jose
$943
Williamsport, PA
$930 1.4% $13
Groceries & Markets
San Jose
$403
Williamsport, PA
$466 15.7% $63
Eating Out
San Jose
$232
Williamsport, PA
$305 31.2% $73
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose
$190
Williamsport, PA
$254 33.7% $64
Clothing & Footwear
San Jose
$174
Williamsport, PA
$144 17.1% $30
Sport & Entertainment
San Jose
$84
Williamsport, PA
$84 0.1% $0.1
Getting Around
San Jose
$81
Williamsport, PA
$14 * 82.6% $67

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 $1,290 in Williamsport, 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 Williamsport, PA are about 4.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $61 in Williamsport, PA. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $466 in Williamsport, PA – so San Jose wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇷 San Jose
🇺🇸 Williamsport, PA
🕒 Local time
17:18 5:18 PM
18:18 6:18 PM
1 h ahead of San Jose
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
342,188 Capital
27,754
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Jose Williamsport, PA 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • San Jose
  • Williamsport, 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 Williamsport, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Jose cheaper than Williamsport, PA?
Yes – Williamsport, PA is pricier by about 4%, 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 $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,295 in Williamsport, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between San Jose and Williamsport, PA?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,170 in San Jose and $1,290 in Williamsport, PA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How do food prices compare in San Jose and in Williamsport, PA?
Groceries cost about 16% more in Williamsport, PA, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $972 per month in San Jose and $1,759 in Williamsport, PA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough for either San Jose or Williamsport, PA?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,107 in San Jose and $2,197 in Williamsport, PA, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is San Jose or Williamsport, PA 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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Williamsport, PA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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