Last update: Oct 2026

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

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

88

Cost of Living Index in Stevens Point, WI
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Stevens Point, WI Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Stevens Point, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,837

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stevens Point, WI and in San Jose

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Stevens Point, WI and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.77 $15.77

$12.29 ₡5,513

28.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 $66.7

$62.3 ₡27.9K

7.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 $9.89

$11.53 ₡5,171

-14.22%

Cappuccino

$4.57 $4.57

$4.35 ₡1,953

5.06%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$2.64 ₡1,183

-3.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.86 ₡836

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.32 ₡1,490

18.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 $5.54

$4.52 ₡2,026

22.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.39 ₡1,073

-61.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.08 ₡1,381

-30.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.50 ₡1,119

-14.40%

Eggs

$3.63 $3.63

$3.48 ₡1,562

4.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.41 $10.41

$10.74 ₡4,815

-3.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 $9.02

$10.32 ₡4,629

-12.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 $10.80

$14.10 ₡6,325

-23.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$5.03 ₡2,256

-12.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.59 ₡714

-15.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$4.84 ₡2,171

-55.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.96 ₡1,776

-14.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$3.76 ₡1,684

-55.59%

Onion (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.73 ₡1,674

10.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.08 ₡485

118.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.25 ₡1,456

-52.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.20 $8.20

$5.86 ₡2,627

39.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.89 $9.89

$20.28 ₡9,095

-51.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.90 ₡1,300

-1.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.73 ₡1,673

-52.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.50 ₡1,123

105.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.63 ₡732

5.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.55 $23.55

$8.71 ₡3,904

170.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.58 ₡709

-44.94%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-25.63%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-38.88%

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

$177 $177

$93.7 ₡42.0K

88.98%

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

$25.36 $25.36

$35.42 ₡15.9K

-28.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.8 $67.8

$60.0 ₡26.9K

13.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 $67.0

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-7.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.09 $44.09

$25.83 ₡11.6K

70.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 $9.15

$7.74 ₡3,471

18.22%

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

$792 $792

$1,005 ₡450.9K

-21.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.7K $35.7K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

111.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.97 $39.97

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-45.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 $39.82

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-28.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.0 $60.0

$128 ₡57.5K

-53.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 $81.4

$130 ₡58.5K

-37.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 $948

$932 ₡418.0K

1.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$812 $812

$760 ₡340.8K

6.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 $889

$1,922 ₡862.0K

-53.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 $903

$1,276 ₡572.1K

-29.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,010 $2,010

$2,301 ₡1.0M

-12.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,966 $1,966

$1,833 ₡821.9K

7.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,029 ₡461.3K

195.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

8.62

-26.33%

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

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stevens Point, WI

$812 44.2%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 6.4% $52

Groceries & Markets

Stevens Point, WI

$297 16.2%

San Jose

$403 21% 35.8% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stevens Point, WI

$270 14.7%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 30% $81

Eating Out

Stevens Point, WI

$259 14.1%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 11.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Stevens Point, WI

$100 5.4%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 75% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Stevens Point, WI

$85 4.6%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 3.3% $2.8

Getting Around

Stevens Point, WI

$14 * 0.8%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 485% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Stevens Point, WI versus $932 in San Jose. 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 $67.0 in Stevens Point, WI versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Stevens Point, WI vs $403 in San Jose – so Stevens Point, WI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Stevens Point, WI

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

10:35 10:35 AM

09:35 9:35 AM

1 h behind Stevens Point, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,666

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Stevens Point, WI San Jose 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Stevens Point, WI
San Jose

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

Stevens Point, WI vs San Jose: 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 $2,755 per month in Stevens Point, WI and $2,886 in San Jose. 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 $1,837 in Stevens Point, WI and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 5%.

Kindergarten costs $792 per month in Stevens Point, WI and $1,005 in San Jose. 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.