Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waco, TX and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,447 in Waco, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Waco, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Waco, TX
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Waco, TX Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Waco, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,447

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,447 per month in Waco, TX vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Waco, TX $2,447
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,090 per month in Waco, TX vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Waco, TX $3,090
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $3,734 per month in Waco, TX vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Waco, TX $3,734
San Jose $3,857

Waco, TX costs about 26% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Waco, TX and San Jose sit above the global median – Waco, TX by 83%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.21 $15.21

$12.22 ₡5,510

24.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 $59.0

$60.1 ₡27.1K

-1.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.77 ₡5,305

3.48%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$4.30 ₡1,939

25.35%

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

$1.77 $1.77

$2.72 ₡1,226

-34.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.84 ₡830

-19.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.28 ₡1,480

50.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 $5.52

$4.36 ₡1,966

26.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$2.38 ₡1,074

-68.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.12 ₡1,408

1.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.41 ₡1,086

-15.77%

Eggs

$2.78 $2.78

$3.47 ₡1,564

-19.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 $12.06

$10.57 ₡4,767

14.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$10.56 ₡4,758

-8.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 $11.67

$13.75 ₡6,196

-15.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$5.04 ₡2,274

-24.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.61 ₡727

-30.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$4.59 ₡2,069

-15.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$3.84 ₡1,731

-3.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$3.77 ₡1,700

-39.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.76 ₡1,693

-23.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.12 ₡506

57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$3.20 ₡1,441

-69.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.54 $8.54

$5.84 ₡2,632

46.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.49 $13.49

$19.73 ₡8,897

-31.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.75 ₡1,240

-38.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 $3.81

$3.66 ₡1,650

4.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.12 ₡503

37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.12 $40.12

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-38.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.93 $9.93

$2.46 ₡1,110

303.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.54 ₡692

23.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.4 $59.4

$8.46 ₡3,815

602.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.55 ₡699

-42.58%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

66.91%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-28.27%

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

$175 $175

$94.7 ₡42.7K

85.31%

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

$40.53 $40.53

$35.11 ₡15.8K

15.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 $54.7

$58.6 ₡26.4K

-6.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.96 $27.96

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-61.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 $9.07

$7.83 ₡3,532

15.84%

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

$747 $747

$971 ₡437.9K

-23.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K $18.2K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

6.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.91 $47.91

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-33.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.27 $38.27

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-30.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$129 ₡58.2K

-33.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.4 $95.4

$133 ₡60.0K

-28.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 $1,244

$934 ₡420.9K

33.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$770 ₡347.2K

72.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 $1,541

$1,945 ₡876.7K

-20.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 $1,374

$1,316 ₡593.5K

4.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,970 $1,970

$2,277 ₡1.0M

-13.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,955 $1,955

$1,795 ₡809.1K

8.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,156 $3,156

$1,006 ₡453.5K

213.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

8.62

-24.71%

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

Last update for Waco, TX: October 6, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waco, TX

$1.3K 55%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 42% $558

Groceries & Markets

Waco, TX

$312 12.9%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 27.7% $86

Eating Out

Waco, TX

$272 11.3%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 16.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waco, TX

$271 11.2%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 30.4% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Waco, TX

$120 5%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 45.6% $55

Getting Around

Waco, TX

$66 2.7%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 21.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Waco, TX

$46 1.9%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 90.5% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,244 in Waco, TX 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 214% higher in Waco, TX, 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 $59.0 in Waco, TX versus $60.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $312 vs $399 – making Waco, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waco, TX

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

08:30 8:30 AM

07:30 7:30 AM

1 h behind Waco, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,486

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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 12, 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

Waco, TX San Jose 2,760 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Waco, TX
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

Waco, TX vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Waco, TX is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,670 per month in Waco, TX 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 $59.0 in Waco, TX 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 $2,447 in Waco, TX and $1,949 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 26%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Waco, TX at $2,447. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waco, TX 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, Waco, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.