Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waltham, MA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $4,237 in Waltham, MA, rent and utilities included – about $25,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

202

Cost of Living Index in Waltham, MA
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Waltham, MA Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Waltham, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,237

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,237 per month in Waltham, MA vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Waltham, MA $4,237
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $6,480 per month in Waltham, MA vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Waltham, MA $6,480
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $8,722 per month in Waltham, MA vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Waltham, MA $8,722
San Jose $4,054

Waltham, MA costs about 101% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Waltham, MA and San Jose sit above the global median – Waltham, MA by 213%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.50 $25.50

$12.37 ₡5,563

106.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 $93.8

$62.4 ₡28.0K

50.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.20 $12.20

$11.71 ₡5,264

4.18%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$4.54 ₡2,040

17.18%

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

$2.85 $2.85

$2.75 ₡1,238

3.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.86 ₡837

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.35 ₡1,505

52.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.79 $7.79

$4.32 ₡1,944

80.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.36 ₡1,061

-54.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.07 ₡1,379

25.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$2.51 ₡1,128

113.94%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$3.53 ₡1,585

38.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 $11.09

$10.54 ₡4,738

5.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.47 $14.47

$10.57 ₡4,754

36.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.56 $17.56

$13.92 ₡6,261

26.15%

Apples (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.20 ₡2,338

26.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.65 ₡740

3.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.89 ₡2,198

12.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$3.84 ₡1,728

46.87%

Potato (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.91 ₡1,757

13.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$3.76 ₡1,692

6.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.12 ₡504

114.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$3.22 ₡1,447

-68.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.35 $13.35

$6.02 ₡2,706

121.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.86 $13.86

$19.84 ₡8,919

-30.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.81 ₡1,264

-22.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.65 ₡1,643

5.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 $59.3

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-9.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.26 ₡1,018

17.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.78 ₡799

-2.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.24 $28.24

$7.90 ₡3,551

257.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.50 ₡673

-28.67%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-18.95%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-38.33%

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

$318 $318

$93.2 ₡41.9K

241.49%

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

$56.5 $56.5

$36.13 ₡16.2K

56.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.8 $83.8

$60.6 ₡27.2K

38.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$248 $248

$68.9 ₡31.0K

260.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$14.52 $14.52

$7.67 ₡3,449

89.31%

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

$1,813 $1,813

$972 ₡436.9K

86.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.7K $43.7K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

131.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-21.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.40 $38.40

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-32.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 $80.1

$129 ₡57.8K

-37.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 $98.7

$131 ₡58.8K

-24.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,511 $2,511

$1,170 ₡525.9K

114.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,511 $2,511

$943 ₡424.1K

166.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,382 $5,382

$1,984 ₡892.0K

171.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,015 $5,015

$1,400 ₡629.5K

258.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,371 $5,371

$987 ₡443.6K

444.36%

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 Waltham, MA: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waltham, MA

$2.5K 59.3%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 62.4% $1.6K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waltham, MA

$459 10.8%

San Jose

$190 9% 58.6% $269

Groceries & Markets

Waltham, MA

$431 10.2%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 6.6% $29

Eating Out

Waltham, MA

$366 8.6%

San Jose

$232 11% 36.6% $134

Sport & Entertainment

Waltham, MA

$277 6.5%

San Jose

$84 4% 69.6% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Waltham, MA

$123 2.9%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 41.7% $51

Getting Around

Waltham, MA

$71 * 1.7%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 14.2% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,511 in Waltham, MA versus $1,170 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 in Waltham, MA are about 5.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94 in Waltham, MA versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waltham, MA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

15:14 3:14 PM

1 h behind Waltham, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,636

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Waltham, MA San Jose 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Waltham, MA
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

Waltham, MA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Waltham, MA is pricier by about 101%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,356 per month in Waltham, MA and $3,161 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $2,511 in Waltham, MA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94 in Waltham, MA and $62 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 $4,237 in Waltham, MA and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 50% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Waltham, MA at $4,237. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waltham, MA 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Waltham, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.