Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Walla Walla, WA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,431 in Walla Walla, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Walla Walla, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

119

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Walla Walla, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,431

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,431 per month in Walla Walla, WA vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Walla Walla, WA $2,431
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,609 per month in Walla Walla, WA vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Walla Walla, WA $3,609
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,787 per month in Walla Walla, WA vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Walla Walla, WA $4,787
San Jose $3,929

Walla Walla, WA costs about 26% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Walla Walla, WA and San Jose sit above the global median – Walla Walla, WA by 79%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.79 $19.79

$12.29 ₡5,513

61.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 $69.2

$62.3 ₡27.9K

11.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 $11.16

$11.53 ₡5,171

-3.21%

Cappuccino

$5.05 $5.05

$4.35 ₡1,953

16.09%

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

$2.32 $2.32

$2.64 ₡1,183

-12.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.86 ₡836

4.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.32 ₡1,490

17.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 $6.03

$4.52 ₡2,026

33.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.39 ₡1,073

-60.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.08 ₡1,381

12.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.50 ₡1,119

23.20%

Eggs

$4.00 $4.00

$3.48 ₡1,562

14.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 $16.05

$10.74 ₡4,815

49.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.51 $13.51

$10.32 ₡4,629

30.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.77 $16.77

$14.10 ₡6,325

18.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$5.03 ₡2,256

-14.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.59 ₡714

6.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$4.84 ₡2,171

-55.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.96 ₡1,776

-13.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$3.76 ₡1,684

-44.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.73 ₡1,674

-41.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.08 ₡485

40.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$3.25 ₡1,456

-42.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.46 $8.46

$5.86 ₡2,627

44.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 $12.08

$20.28 ₡9,095

-40.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.90 ₡1,300

-34.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.73 ₡1,673

25.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 $0.51

$1.08 ₡486

-52.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.97 $9.97

$65.5 ₡29.4K

-84.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.50 ₡1,123

-20.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.63 ₡732

-24.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.83 $39.83

$8.71 ₡3,904

357.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.58 ₡709

-24.05%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-15.58%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-35.34%

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

$226 $226

$93.7 ₡42.0K

141.17%

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

$75.6 $75.6

$35.42 ₡15.9K

113.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.8 $67.8

$60.0 ₡26.9K

13.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.56 $42.56

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-41.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 $10.81

$7.74 ₡3,471

39.66%

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

$1,388 $1,388

$1,005 ₡450.9K

38.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K $21.2K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

25.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.35 $39.35

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-46.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 $34.63

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-37.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$128 ₡57.5K

-33.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.0 $84.0

$130 ₡58.5K

-35.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 $1,378

$932 ₡418.0K

47.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 $1,189

$760 ₡340.8K

56.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,314 $2,314

$1,922 ₡862.0K

20.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 $2,098

$1,276 ₡572.1K

64.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,704 $2,704

$2,301 ₡1.0M

17.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,767 $2,767

$1,833 ₡821.9K

50.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,193 $5,193

$1,029 ₡461.3K

404.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

8.62

-25.29%

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

Last update for Walla Walla, WA: 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

Walla Walla, WA

$1.2K 48.9%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 36.1% $430

Groceries & Markets

Walla Walla, WA

$378 15.5%

San Jose

$403 21% 6.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Walla Walla, WA

$369 15.2%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 48.8% $180

Eating Out

Walla Walla, WA

$301 12.4%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 24% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Walla Walla, WA

$109 4.5%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 59.5% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Walla Walla, WA

$64 2.6%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 37.2% $24

Getting Around

Walla Walla, WA

$20 0.8%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 300% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,378 in Walla Walla, WA 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 405% higher in Walla Walla, 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 $69.0 in Walla Walla, WA versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $378 in Walla Walla, WA vs $403 in San Jose – so Walla Walla, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Walla Walla, WA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

11:34 11:34 AM

12:34 12:34 PM

1 h ahead of Walla Walla, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,060

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

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Between locations

Walla Walla, WA San Jose 5,160 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Walla Walla, 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

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

Yes – Walla Walla, WA is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,647 per month in Walla Walla, WA 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 $69.0 in Walla Walla, WA 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 $2,431 in Walla Walla, WA and $1,924 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 $1,924, than in Walla Walla, WA at $2,431. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Walla Walla, 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, Walla Walla, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.