Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Dalles, OR and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,611 in The Dalles, OR, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in The Dalles, OR outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

123

Cost of Living Index in The Dalles, OR
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The Dalles, OR Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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The Dalles, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,611

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,611 per month in The Dalles, OR vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

The Dalles, OR $2,611
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,793 per month in The Dalles, OR vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

The Dalles, OR $3,793
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,974 per month in The Dalles, OR vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

The Dalles, OR $4,974
San Jose $3,929

The Dalles, OR costs about 36% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both The Dalles, OR and San Jose sit above the global median – The Dalles, OR by 93%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.07 $20.07

$12.29 ₡5,513

63.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.8 $96.8

$62.3 ₡27.9K

55.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 $11.96

$11.53 ₡5,171

3.73%

Cappuccino

$4.60 $4.60

$4.35 ₡1,953

5.75%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$2.64 ₡1,183

-7.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.86 ₡836

13.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 $5.04

$3.32 ₡1,490

51.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 $6.90

$4.52 ₡2,026

52.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.39 ₡1,073

-56.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.08 ₡1,381

5.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.50 ₡1,119

64.40%

Eggs

$2.95 $2.95

$3.48 ₡1,562

-15.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 $14.43

$10.74 ₡4,815

34.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.55 $13.55

$10.32 ₡4,629

31.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 $10.94

$14.10 ₡6,325

-22.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$5.03 ₡2,256

-4.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.59 ₡714

8.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.84 ₡2,171

-18.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.96 ₡1,776

1.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.76 ₡1,684

-20.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.73 ₡1,674

-12.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.08 ₡485

72.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.25 ₡1,456

-36.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.25 $11.25

$5.86 ₡2,627

91.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.22 $15.22

$20.28 ₡9,095

-24.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.90 ₡1,300

-43.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.73 ₡1,673

-21.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.08 ₡486

79.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.93 $44.93

$65.5 ₡29.4K

-31.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.50 ₡1,123

39.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.63 ₡732

34.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.48 $49.48

$8.71 ₡3,904

468.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.58 ₡709

-17.72%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-23.56%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-40.61%

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

$188 $188

$93.7 ₡42.0K

100.51%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$35.42 ₡15.9K

68.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$60.0 ₡26.9K

14.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 $41.77

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-42.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.83 $11.83

$7.74 ₡3,471

52.84%

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

$987 $987

$1,005 ₡450.9K

-1.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-3.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.22 $40.22

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-44.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.38 $34.38

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-37.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.1 $60.1

$128 ₡57.5K

-53.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 $81.5

$130 ₡58.5K

-37.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 $1,612

$932 ₡418.0K

72.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 $1,379

$760 ₡340.8K

81.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,922 ₡862.0K

31.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 $2,143

$1,276 ₡572.1K

67.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,021 $3,021

$2,301 ₡1.0M

31.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,708 $2,708

$1,833 ₡821.9K

47.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,789 $3,789

$1,029 ₡461.3K

268.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

8.62

-23.55%

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

Last update for The Dalles, OR: October 17, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

The Dalles, OR

$1.4K 52.8%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 44.9% $619

Groceries & Markets

The Dalles, OR

$377 14.5%

San Jose

$403 21% 6.9% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

The Dalles, OR

$316 12.1%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 40.2% $127

Eating Out

The Dalles, OR

$309 11.8%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 25.9% $80

Clothing & Footwear

The Dalles, OR

$97 3.7%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 79.1% $77

Getting Around

The Dalles, OR

$67 2.6%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 19.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

The Dalles, OR

$65 2.5%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 34.6% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,612 in The Dalles, OR 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 268% higher in The Dalles, OR, 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 $97.0 in The Dalles, OR versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $377 in The Dalles, OR vs $403 in San Jose – so The Dalles, OR wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 The Dalles, OR

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

14:37 2:37 PM

15:37 3:37 PM

1 h ahead of The Dalles, OR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,783

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

The Dalles, OR San Jose 5,310 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

The Dalles, OR
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

The Dalles, OR vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – The Dalles, OR is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,917 per month in The Dalles, OR 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 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 $97.0 in The Dalles, OR and $62.0 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 $2,611 in The Dalles, OR and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 36%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in The Dalles, OR at $2,611. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in The Dalles, OR 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, The Dalles, OR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.