Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stratford, ON and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Stratford, ON: $2,010 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Stratford, ON
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Stratford, ON Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Stratford, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,010

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,010 per month in Stratford, ON vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Stratford, ON $2,010
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,170 per month in Stratford, ON vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Stratford, ON $3,170
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $4,330 per month in Stratford, ON vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Stratford, ON $4,330
San Jose $4,054

Stratford, ON is about 5% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Stratford, ON and San Jose sit above the global median – Stratford, ON by 49%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 CA$25.60

$12.37 ₡5,546

46.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.58 CA$70.1

$62.4 ₡28.0K

-20.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 CA$16.37

$11.71 ₡5,248

-1.02%

Cappuccino

$3.38 CA$4.77

$4.54 ₡2,034

-25.55%

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

$1.49 CA$2.10

$2.75 ₡1,234

-45.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.86 ₡835

-26.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.20 CA$5.94

$3.35 ₡1,501

25.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$4.32 ₡1,938

8.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CA$3.10

$2.36 ₡1,057

-7.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.07 ₡1,375

-8.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 CA$5.13

$2.51 ₡1,124

44.62%

Eggs

$3.01 CA$4.25

$3.53 ₡1,580

-14.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 CA$14.52

$10.54 ₡4,724

-2.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.88

$10.57 ₡4,740

6.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.99 CA$31.06

$13.92 ₡6,242

57.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 CA$4.97

$5.20 ₡2,331

-32.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 CA$1.49

$1.65 ₡738

-35.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 CA$6.03

$4.89 ₡2,191

-12.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 CA$6.69

$3.84 ₡1,722

23.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.42 CA$4.83

$3.91 ₡1,752

-12.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 CA$3.33

$3.76 ₡1,687

-37.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.53

$1.12 ₡503

123.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$3.22 ₡1,443

-54.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 CA$15.43

$6.02 ₡2,698

81.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 CA$15.83

$19.84 ₡8,892

-43.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 CA$5.01

$2.81 ₡1,261

26.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CA$4.47

$3.65 ₡1,638

-13.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.11 CA$2.99

$1.08 ₡485

95.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.46 CA$69.9

$65.2 ₡29.2K

-24.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 CA$3.37

$2.26 ₡1,015

5.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 CA$2.76

$1.78 ₡797

9.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.06 CA$36.81

$7.90 ₡3,540

229.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.58

$1.50 ₡671

-25.33%

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

$28.4K CA$40.2K

$33.5K ₡15.0M

-15.10%

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

$22.8K CA$32.2K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-46.18%

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

$123 CA$174

$93.2 ₡41.8K

32.33%

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

$39.72 CA$56.1

$36.13 ₡16.2K

9.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.82 CA$44.96

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-47.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.47 CA$61.4

$68.9 ₡30.9K

-36.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 CA$27.46

$24.94 ₡11.2K

-22.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.32 CA$14.59

$7.67 ₡3,439

34.55%

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

$821 CA$1,160

$972 ₡435.6K

-15.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K CA$24.7K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-7.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 CA$91.1

$70.6 ₡31.7K

-8.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.41 CA$51.4

$56.7 ₡25.4K

-35.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 CA$120

$129 ₡57.7K

-33.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 CA$178

$131 ₡58.7K

-3.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 CA$1,713

$1,170 ₡524.3K

3.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 CA$1,265

$943 ₡422.8K

-5.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 CA$2,982

$1,984 ₡889.3K

6.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 CA$2,582

$1,400 ₡627.6K

30.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,794 CA$5,360

$2,681 ₡1.2M

41.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡913.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,701 CA$3,816

$987 ₡442.3K

173.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

8.62

-42.11%

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

Last update for Stratford, ON: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stratford, ON

$895 44.5%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 5.4% $48

Groceries & Markets

Stratford, ON

$384 19.1%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 5% $19

Eating Out

Stratford, ON

$262 13%

San Jose

$232 11% 11.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stratford, ON

$195 9.7%

San Jose

$190 9% 2.5% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Stratford, ON

$140 7%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 23.9% $34

Getting Around

Stratford, ON

$70 3.5%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 15.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Stratford, ON

$64 3.2%

San Jose

$84 4% 31.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,212 in Stratford, ON versus $1,170 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 in Stratford, ON are about 2.7 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 $50 in Stratford, ON versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $403 – making Stratford, ON the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Stratford, ON

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

21:44 9:44 PM

20:44 8:44 PM

1 h behind Stratford, ON

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,465

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.708 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.708 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

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).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Stratford, ON San Jose 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Stratford, ON
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

Stratford, ON 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 clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,015 per month in Stratford, ON and $3,161 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,212 in Stratford, ON and $1,170 in San Jose. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,010 in Stratford, ON and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes Stratford, ON about 5% cheaper.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,010 in Stratford, ON and $2,107 in San Jose, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,010 in Stratford, ON to $2,107 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.