Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Washington, DC and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $3,910 in Washington, DC, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

187

Cost of Living Index in Washington, DC
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Washington, DC Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Washington, DC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,910

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,910 per month in Washington, DC vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Washington, DC $3,910
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $6,024 per month in Washington, DC vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Washington, DC $6,024
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $8,138 per month in Washington, DC vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Washington, DC $8,138
San Jose $4,054

Washington, DC costs about 86% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Washington, DC and San Jose sit above the global median – Washington, DC by 189%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.59 $23.59

$12.37 ₡5,563

90.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 $105

$62.4 ₡28.0K

67.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$11.71 ₡5,264

6.23%

Cappuccino

$6.02 $6.02

$4.54 ₡2,040

32.60%

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

$3.26 $3.26

$2.75 ₡1,238

18.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.86 ₡837

42.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.73 $8.73

$3.35 ₡1,505

160.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.13 $10.13

$4.32 ₡1,944

134.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$2.36 ₡1,061

-42.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.07 ₡1,379

32.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$2.51 ₡1,128

177.29%

Eggs

$5.57 $5.57

$3.53 ₡1,585

57.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 $16.74

$10.54 ₡4,738

58.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.01 $17.01

$10.57 ₡4,754

60.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.89 $18.89

$13.92 ₡6,261

35.70%

Apples (1kg)

$7.45 $7.45

$5.20 ₡2,338

43.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.65 ₡740

47.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$4.89 ₡2,198

3.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.84 ₡1,728

51.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.91 ₡1,757

-25.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.76 ₡1,692

-0.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.12 ₡504

132.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.22 ₡1,447

-16.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.81 $13.81

$6.02 ₡2,706

129.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.06 $16.06

$19.84 ₡8,919

-19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.81 ₡1,264

13.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 $5.75

$3.65 ₡1,643

57.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.08 ₡487

193.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 $118

$65.2 ₡29.3K

80.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.26 ₡1,018

72.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.78 ₡799

-12.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.94 $24.94

$7.90 ₡3,551

215.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.50 ₡673

-22.67%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

3.22%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-38.52%

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

$210 $210

$93.2 ₡41.9K

125.20%

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

$79.5 $79.5

$36.13 ₡16.2K

120.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.7 $77.7

$60.6 ₡27.2K

28.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 $100

$68.9 ₡31.0K

45.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$73.2 $73.2

$24.94 ₡11.2K

193.62%

Cinema Ticket

$17.90 $17.90

$7.67 ₡3,449

133.38%

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

$2,956 $2,956

$972 ₡436.9K

204.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$50.0K $50.0K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

164.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 $72.2

$70.6 ₡31.8K

2.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.69 $43.69

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-22.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$129 ₡57.8K

-19.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$131 ₡58.8K

-5.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,721 $2,721

$1,170 ₡525.9K

132.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,209 $2,209

$943 ₡424.1K

134.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,995 $4,995

$1,984 ₡892.0K

151.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,231 $4,231

$1,400 ₡629.5K

202.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,895 $7,895

$2,681 ₡1.2M

194.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,695 $3,695

$2,037 ₡915.8K

81.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,306 $6,306

$987 ₡443.6K

539.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

8.62

-20.42%

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

Last update for Washington, DC: November 3, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Washington, DC

$2.2K 56.5%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 57.3% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Washington, DC

$516 13.2%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 22% $113

Eating Out

Washington, DC

$386 9.9%

San Jose

$232 11% 39.8% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Washington, DC

$367 9.4%

San Jose

$190 9% 48.3% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Washington, DC

$154 3.9%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 13.1% $20

Getting Around

Washington, DC

$142 3.6%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 43.2% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Washington, DC

$136 3.5%

San Jose

$84 4% 38% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,721 in Washington, DC 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 Washington, DC are about 6.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Washington, DC versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $516 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Washington, DC

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

23:11 11:11 PM

22:11 10:11 PM

1 h behind Washington, DC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

672,228 Capital

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 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

Lowest

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Between locations

Washington, DC San Jose 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Washington, DC
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

Washington, DC vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Washington, DC is pricier by about 86%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,864 per month in Washington, DC 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 $2,721 in Washington, DC.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Washington, DC 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 $3,910 in Washington, DC and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 46% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Washington, DC at $3,910. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Washington, DC 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, Washington, DC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.