Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wausau, WI and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Wausau, WI: $1,726 a month against $1,949 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

85

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Wausau, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,726

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,726 per month in Wausau, WI vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Wausau, WI $1,726
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $2,735 per month in Wausau, WI vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Wausau, WI $2,735
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $3,743 per month in Wausau, WI vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Wausau, WI $3,743
San Jose $3,857

Wausau, WI is about 11% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Wausau, WI and San Jose sit above the global median – Wausau, WI by 29%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.87 $19.87

$12.22 ₡5,510

62.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.2 $75.2

$60.1 ₡27.1K

25.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.71 $8.71

$11.77 ₡5,305

-26.00%

Cappuccino

$4.85 $4.85

$4.30 ₡1,939

12.79%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$2.72 ₡1,226

3.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.84 ₡830

5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 $5.62

$3.28 ₡1,480

71.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 $5.42

$4.36 ₡1,966

24.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$2.38 ₡1,074

-64.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 $2.84

$3.12 ₡1,408

-8.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.41 ₡1,086

118.26%

Eggs

$4.66 $4.66

$3.47 ₡1,564

34.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 $8.62

$10.57 ₡4,767

-18.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 $6.80

$10.56 ₡4,758

-35.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 $13.53

$13.75 ₡6,196

-1.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$5.04 ₡2,274

-17.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.61 ₡727

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.59 ₡2,069

-12.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.84 ₡1,731

6.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$3.77 ₡1,700

-50.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.76 ₡1,693

-35.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.12 ₡506

100.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$3.20 ₡1,441

-69.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.60 $8.60

$5.84 ₡2,632

47.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.92 $8.92

$19.73 ₡8,897

-54.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.75 ₡1,240

-29.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.66 ₡1,650

-39.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.46 ₡1,110

12.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.54 ₡692

2.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.77 $20.77

$8.46 ₡3,815

145.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.55 ₡699

-47.74%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

67.41%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-28.44%

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

$157 $157

$94.7 ₡42.7K

66.17%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$35.11 ₡15.8K

94.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$58.6 ₡26.4K

22.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.56 $30.56

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-57.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$5.93 $5.93

$7.83 ₡3,532

-24.27%

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

$1,806 $1,806

$971 ₡437.9K

85.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K $24.6K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

44.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.53 $24.53

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-65.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.50 $40.50

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-26.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.8 $65.8

$129 ₡58.2K

-49.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 $83.5

$133 ₡60.0K

-37.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$928 $928

$934 ₡420.9K

-0.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 $698

$770 ₡347.2K

-9.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 $1,565

$1,945 ₡876.7K

-19.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 $1,398

$1,316 ₡593.5K

6.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,662 $1,662

$2,277 ₡1.0M

-26.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,714 $1,714

$1,795 ₡809.1K

-4.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,486 $3,486

$1,006 ₡453.5K

246.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

8.62

-22.85%

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

Last update for Wausau, WI: October 4, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wausau, WI

$698 39.8%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 10.4% $73

Groceries & Markets

Wausau, WI

$307 17.5%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 30% $92

Eating Out

Wausau, WI

$301 17.2%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 24.3% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wausau, WI

$297 17%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 36.6% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Wausau, WI

$96 5.5%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 81.4% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Wausau, WI

$42 2.4%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 107% $45

Getting Around

Wausau, WI

$11 * 0.6%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 649% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $928 in Wausau, 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 246% higher in Wausau, WI, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Wausau, WI versus $60.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Wausau, WI vs $399 in San Jose – so Wausau, WI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wausau, WI

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

12:19 12:19 PM

11:19 11:19 AM

1 h behind Wausau, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,435

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

Wausau, WI San Jose 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Wausau, 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

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

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,589 per month in Wausau, 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 Wausau, WI, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,726 in Wausau, WI and $1,949 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 13%.

Kindergarten costs $1,806 per month in Wausau, WI and $971 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Wausau, WI, where all-in costs run around $1,726, than in San Jose at $1,949. In Wausau, WI it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wausau, WI – 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 Wausau, WI. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.