Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waukesha, WI and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,062 in Waukesha, WI, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Waukesha, WI
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Waukesha, WI Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Waukesha, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,062

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,062 per month in Waukesha, WI vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Waukesha, WI $2,062
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $2,984 per month in Waukesha, WI vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Waukesha, WI $2,984
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $3,905 per month in Waukesha, WI vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Waukesha, WI $3,905
San Jose $3,857

Waukesha, WI costs about 6% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Waukesha, WI and San Jose sit above the global median – Waukesha, WI by 54%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 $17.04

$12.22 ₡5,510

39.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 $74.7

$60.1 ₡27.1K

24.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 $11.14

$11.77 ₡5,305

-5.35%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$4.30 ₡1,939

17.21%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.72 ₡1,226

0.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.84 ₡830

6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.28 ₡1,480

81.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 $7.64

$4.36 ₡1,966

75.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$2.38 ₡1,074

-64.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.12 ₡1,408

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.41 ₡1,086

85.48%

Eggs

$3.53 $3.53

$3.47 ₡1,564

1.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 $8.63

$10.57 ₡4,767

-18.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.51 $11.51

$10.56 ₡4,758

9.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.05 $17.05

$13.75 ₡6,196

24.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$5.04 ₡2,274

4.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.61 ₡727

1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$4.59 ₡2,069

-22.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.84 ₡1,731

33.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$3.77 ₡1,700

-54.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.76 ₡1,693

-30.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.12 ₡506

50.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$3.20 ₡1,441

-39.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.32 $8.32

$5.84 ₡2,632

42.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 $11.21

$19.73 ₡8,897

-43.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.75 ₡1,240

-36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.66 ₡1,650

-4.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.12 ₡503

74.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.0 $51.0

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-21.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.46 ₡1,110

15.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.54 ₡692

3.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.35 $21.35

$8.46 ₡3,815

152.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.55 ₡699

-36.13%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

13.34%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-27.73%

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

$200 $200

$94.7 ₡42.7K

111.11%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$35.11 ₡15.8K

47.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 $60.1

$58.6 ₡26.4K

2.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.24 $49.24

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-31.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$14.35 $14.35

$7.83 ₡3,532

83.27%

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

$1,508 $1,508

$971 ₡437.9K

55.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

40.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-24.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 $40.95

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-25.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 $88.1

$129 ₡58.2K

-31.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.1 $74.1

$133 ₡60.0K

-44.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 $985

$934 ₡420.9K

5.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 $807

$770 ₡347.2K

4.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 $1,624

$1,945 ₡876.7K

-16.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 $1,201

$1,316 ₡593.5K

-8.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,242 $2,242

$2,277 ₡1.0M

-1.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,261 $2,261

$1,795 ₡809.1K

26.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,330 $4,330

$1,006 ₡453.5K

330.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

8.62

-24.25%

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

Last update for Waukesha, WI: October 5, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waukesha, WI

$807 39.6%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 4.5% $37

Groceries & Markets

Waukesha, WI

$362 17.8%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 10.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waukesha, WI

$312 15.3%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 39.6% $124

Eating Out

Waukesha, WI

$294 14.4%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 22.4% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Waukesha, WI

$116 5.7%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 51.1% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Waukesha, WI

$78 3.8%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 12.7% $9.9

Getting Around

Waukesha, WI

$70 3.4%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 14.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Waukesha, WI 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 330% higher in Waukesha, WI, 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 $75.0 in Waukesha, WI versus $60.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Waukesha, WI vs $399 in San Jose – so Waukesha, WI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waukesha, WI

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

14:22 2:22 PM

13:22 1:22 PM

1 h behind Waukesha, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,158

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

Waukesha, WI San Jose 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Waukesha, WI
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

Waukesha, WI vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Waukesha, WI is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,093 per month in Waukesha, WI 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 $75.0 in Waukesha, WI 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 $2,062 in Waukesha, WI and $1,949 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 6%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Waukesha, WI at $2,062. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waukesha, WI 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Waukesha, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.