Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Visalia, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,507 in Visalia, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Visalia, CA
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Visalia, CA Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Visalia, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,507

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,507 per month in Visalia, CA vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Visalia, CA $2,507
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $3,781 per month in Visalia, CA vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Visalia, CA $3,781
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $5,055 per month in Visalia, CA vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Visalia, CA $5,055
San Jose $3,934

Visalia, CA costs about 29% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Visalia, CA and San Jose sit above the global median – Visalia, CA by 86%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.65 $19.65

$12.38 ₡5,551

58.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.1 $99.1

$60.9 ₡27.3K

62.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 $10.00

$11.45 ₡5,135

-12.66%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.39 ₡1,967

24.83%

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

$1.71 $1.71

$2.70 ₡1,211

-36.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.93 ₡864

-31.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.20 ₡1,433

52.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.41 ₡1,979

37.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.44 ₡1,093

-39.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.05 ₡1,369

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.41 ₡1,081

79.25%

Eggs

$4.48 $4.48

$3.40 ₡1,523

31.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 $10.15

$10.75 ₡4,823

-5.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.72 $8.72

$10.43 ₡4,679

-16.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.99 ₡6,273

7.79%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$5.25 ₡2,353

1.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.59 ₡712

24.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$4.69 ₡2,103

-52.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$3.95 ₡1,770

13.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.92 ₡1,760

-27.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.68 ₡1,651

-40.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.12 ₡503

83.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.19 ₡1,429

28.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.06 $13.06

$6.00 ₡2,692

117.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.75 $16.75

$19.56 ₡8,771

-14.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.82 ₡1,263

-5.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.59 ₡1,611

13.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.12 ₡503

206.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.13 $35.13

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-47.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.50 ₡1,119

-40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.63 ₡733

-42.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.51 $35.51

$8.50 ₡3,812

317.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.56 ₡701

-13.46%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

62.87%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-28.53%

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

$200 $200

$95.2 ₡42.7K

110.23%

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

$56.0 $56.0

$35.58 ₡16.0K

57.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 $53.9

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-8.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.75 $34.75

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-52.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 $12.85

$7.58 ₡3,401

69.53%

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

$568 $568

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-43.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K $12.4K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-27.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.3 $77.3

$70.5 ₡31.6K

9.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 $34.52

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-38.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$130 ₡58.2K

-8.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$131 ₡58.7K

3.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 $1,305

$927 ₡415.8K

40.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 $1,214

$774 ₡347.2K

56.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,099 $2,099

$1,967 ₡882.0K

6.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 $2,074

$1,288 ₡577.6K

61.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,575 $2,575

$2,274 ₡1.0M

13.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,584 $2,584

$1,831 ₡821.0K

41.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,412 $4,412

$1,016 ₡455.8K

334.16%

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 Visalia, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Visalia, CA

$1.2K 48.4%

San Jose

$774 40% 36.2% $439

Groceries & Markets

Visalia, CA

$401 16%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 0.1% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Visalia, CA

$310 12.4%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 38.9% $121

Eating Out

Visalia, CA

$302 12%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 24% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Visalia, CA

$165 6.6%

San Jose

$174 9% 5.6% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Visalia, CA

$60 2.4%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 45.3% $27

Getting Around

Visalia, CA

$55 2.2%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 48.8% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,305 in Visalia, CA versus $927 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 334% higher in Visalia, CA, 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 $99.0 in Visalia, CA versus $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in Visalia, CA vs $401 in San Jose – so Visalia, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Visalia, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

00:10 12:10 AM

01:10 1:10 AM

1 h ahead of Visalia, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

130,104

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Visalia, CA San Jose 4,600 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Visalia, CA
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

Visalia, CA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Visalia, CA is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,761 per month in Visalia, CA and $2,907 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 $99.0 in Visalia, CA and $61.0 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 $2,507 in Visalia, CA and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 29%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Visalia, CA at $2,507. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Visalia, CA 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, Visalia, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.