Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wichita, KS and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,219 in Wichita, KS, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Wichita, KS
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Wichita, KS Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Wichita, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,219

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,219 per month in Wichita, KS vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Wichita, KS $2,219
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,196 per month in Wichita, KS vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Wichita, KS $3,196
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $4,172 per month in Wichita, KS vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Wichita, KS $4,172
San Jose $3,857

Wichita, KS costs about 14% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wichita, KS and San Jose sit above the global median – Wichita, KS by 66%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.32 $18.32

$12.22 ₡5,510

49.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 $59.8

$60.1 ₡27.1K

-0.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 $10.91

$11.77 ₡5,305

-7.31%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$4.30 ₡1,939

29.07%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$2.72 ₡1,226

-10.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.84 ₡830

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.28 ₡1,480

56.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 $6.09

$4.36 ₡1,966

39.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$2.38 ₡1,074

-64.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.12 ₡1,408

22.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.41 ₡1,086

90.04%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$3.47 ₡1,564

12.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 $11.39

$10.57 ₡4,767

7.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.16 $10.16

$10.56 ₡4,758

-3.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.85 $17.85

$13.75 ₡6,196

29.82%

Apples (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$5.04 ₡2,274

19.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.61 ₡727

6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.59 ₡2,069

13.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.84 ₡1,731

33.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.77 ₡1,700

-22.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.76 ₡1,693

-22.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.12 ₡506

101.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$3.20 ₡1,441

-28.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.55 $9.55

$5.84 ₡2,632

63.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$19.73 ₡8,897

-24.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.75 ₡1,240

-18.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.66 ₡1,650

6.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.12 ₡503

52.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 $54.4

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-16.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.46 ₡1,110

2.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.54 ₡692

2.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.35 $40.35

$8.46 ₡3,815

376.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.55 ₡699

-39.35%

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

$38.1K $38.1K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

75.43%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-29.81%

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

$268 $268

$94.7 ₡42.7K

183.17%

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

$82.9 $82.9

$35.11 ₡15.8K

136.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$58.6 ₡26.4K

16.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.58 $30.58

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-57.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.29 $20.29

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-19.45%

Cinema Ticket

$14.81 $14.81

$7.83 ₡3,532

89.14%

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

$909 $909

$971 ₡437.9K

-6.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-5.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.13 $47.13

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-34.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.21 $31.21

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-43.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$129 ₡58.2K

-12.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$133 ₡60.0K

4.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 $1,006

$934 ₡420.9K

7.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 $762

$770 ₡347.2K

-1.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 $1,598

$1,945 ₡876.7K

-17.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 $1,303

$1,316 ₡593.5K

-1.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,570 $1,570

$2,277 ₡1.0M

-31.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 $1,467

$1,795 ₡809.1K

-18.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,573 $3,573

$1,006 ₡453.5K

255.22%

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 Wichita, KS: October 3, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wichita, KS

$762 35.2%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 1% $7.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wichita, KS

$419 19.3%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 55.1% $231

Groceries & Markets

Wichita, KS

$406 18.7%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 1.8% $7.2

Eating Out

Wichita, KS

$301 13.9%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 24.2% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Wichita, KS

$148 6.8%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 17.9% $26

Getting Around

Wichita, KS

$72 3.3%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 11.2% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Wichita, KS

$60 2.8%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 45.9% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,006 in Wichita, KS 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 255% higher in Wichita, KS, 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 $60.0 in Wichita, KS versus $60.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $406 in Wichita, KS vs $399 in San Jose – so San Jose wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wichita, KS

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

01:53 1:53 AM

00:53 12:53 AM

1 h behind Wichita, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

357,698

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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Wichita, KS San Jose 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Wichita, KS
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

Wichita, KS vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Wichita, KS is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,329 per month in Wichita, KS 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 $60.0 in Wichita, KS 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 $2,219 in Wichita, KS and $1,949 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 14%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Wichita, KS at $2,219. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wichita, KS 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, Wichita, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.