Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacoma, WA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,977 in Tacoma, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Tacoma, WA
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Tacoma, WA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Tacoma, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,977

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,977 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Tacoma, WA $2,977
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $4,468 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Tacoma, WA $4,468
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $5,960 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Tacoma, WA $5,960
San Jose $3,857

Tacoma, WA costs about 53% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tacoma, WA and San Jose sit above the global median – Tacoma, WA by 122%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.07 $25.07

$12.22 ₡5,510

105.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 $79.4

$60.1 ₡27.1K

31.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$11.77 ₡5,305

3.14%

Cappuccino

$5.57 $5.57

$4.30 ₡1,939

29.53%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$2.72 ₡1,226

15.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.84 ₡830

39.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

$3.28 ₡1,480

108.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 $6.88

$4.36 ₡1,966

57.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.38 ₡1,074

-52.52%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.12 ₡1,408

31.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$2.41 ₡1,086

145.23%

Eggs

$5.53 $5.53

$3.47 ₡1,564

59.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$10.57 ₡4,767

54.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$21.87 $21.87

$10.56 ₡4,758

107.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.38 $23.38

$13.75 ₡6,196

70.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$5.04 ₡2,274

1.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.61 ₡727

4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$4.59 ₡2,069

-7.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$3.84 ₡1,731

21.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.77 ₡1,700

-26.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.76 ₡1,693

-22.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.12 ₡506

54.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.20 ₡1,441

2.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.22 $12.22

$5.84 ₡2,632

109.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 $18.82

$19.73 ₡8,897

-4.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.75 ₡1,240

-36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 $5.00

$3.66 ₡1,650

36.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.12 ₡503

77.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 $63.1

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-3.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.46 ₡1,110

2.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.54 ₡692

5.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.56 $29.56

$8.46 ₡3,815

249.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.55 ₡699

-12.90%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

71.21%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-21.73%

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

$230 $230

$94.7 ₡42.7K

143.06%

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

$92.7 $92.7

$35.11 ₡15.8K

163.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$58.6 ₡26.4K

50.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.21 $42.21

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-41.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 $18.21

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-27.71%

Cinema Ticket

$16.97 $16.97

$7.83 ₡3,532

116.73%

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

$2,105 $2,105

$971 ₡437.9K

116.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

84.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 $61.2

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-14.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.72 $43.72

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-20.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 $85.8

$129 ₡58.2K

-33.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$133 ₡60.0K

-4.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 $1,725

$934 ₡420.9K

84.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 $1,444

$770 ₡347.2K

87.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,797 $2,797

$1,945 ₡876.7K

43.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,420 $2,420

$1,316 ₡593.5K

83.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,896 $4,896

$2,277 ₡1.0M

115.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,482 $3,482

$1,795 ₡809.1K

94.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,817 $4,817

$1,006 ₡453.5K

378.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

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

Last update for Tacoma, WA: October 3, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tacoma, WA

$1.4K 47.3%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 46.7% $674

Groceries & Markets

Tacoma, WA

$519 17%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 23.2% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacoma, WA

$411 13.5%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 54.2% $223

Eating Out

Tacoma, WA

$375 12.3%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 39.1% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Tacoma, WA

$143 4.7%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 22.1% $32

Getting Around

Tacoma, WA

$82 2.7%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 2.5% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Tacoma, WA

$76 2.5%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 15.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,725 in Tacoma, WA versus $934 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 379% higher in Tacoma, WA, 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 $79.0 in Tacoma, WA versus $60.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $519 vs $399 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tacoma, WA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

05:02 5:02 AM

06:02 6:02 AM

1 h ahead of Tacoma, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,346

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tacoma, WA San Jose 5,490 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tacoma, WA
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

Tacoma, WA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tacoma, WA is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,465 per month in Tacoma, WA and $2,924 in San Jose. 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 $79.0 in Tacoma, WA and $60.0 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 $2,977 in Tacoma, WA and $1,949 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 53%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Tacoma, WA at $2,977. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tacoma, WA 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, Tacoma, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.