Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Williams Lake, BC and San Jose

For one person, living costs are similar in Williams Lake, BC and in San Jose: $2,019 and $1,924 a month, rent and utilities included.

98

Cost of Living Index in Williams Lake, BC
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Williams Lake, BC Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Williams Lake, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,019

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,019 per month in Williams Lake, BC vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Williams Lake, BC $2,019
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $2,916 per month in Williams Lake, BC vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Williams Lake, BC $2,916
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Williams Lake, BC vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Williams Lake, BC $3,814
San Jose $3,929

Williams Lake, BC costs about 5% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Williams Lake, BC and San Jose sit above the global median – Williams Lake, BC by 49%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.93 CA$25.35

$12.29 ₡5,513

45.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 CA$92.1

$62.3 ₡27.9K

4.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 CA$14.76

$11.53 ₡5,171

-9.45%

Cappuccino

$3.67 CA$5.20

$4.35 ₡1,953

-15.63%

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

$2.05 CA$2.90

$2.64 ₡1,183

-22.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.35

$1.86 ₡836

-10.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.59 CA$6.48

$3.32 ₡1,490

38.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 CA$7.84

$4.52 ₡2,026

22.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.39 ₡1,073

-1.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$3.08 ₡1,381

-18.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 CA$4.58

$2.50 ₡1,119

29.60%

Eggs

$3.44 CA$4.87

$3.48 ₡1,562

-1.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 CA$14.52

$10.74 ₡4,815

-4.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.37 CA$16.07

$10.32 ₡4,629

10.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.27 CA$21.59

$14.10 ₡6,325

8.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.37

$5.03 ₡2,256

-24.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 CA$1.82

$1.59 ₡714

-18.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 CA$5.11

$4.84 ₡2,171

-25.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 CA$5.44

$3.96 ₡1,776

-2.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$3.76 ₡1,684

-34.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$3.73 ₡1,674

-39.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 CA$3.32

$1.08 ₡485

117.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 CA$2.02

$3.25 ₡1,456

-56.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.95 CA$19.72

$5.86 ₡2,627

138.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.48 CA$17.65

$20.28 ₡9,095

-38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 CA$3.79

$2.90 ₡1,300

-7.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 CA$4.96

$3.73 ₡1,673

-5.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 CA$3.29

$1.08 ₡486

115.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 CA$86.7

$65.5 ₡29.4K

-6.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 CA$4.70

$2.50 ₡1,123

32.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.63 ₡732

-5.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.03 CA$32.56

$8.71 ₡3,904

164.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.58 ₡709

-22.78%

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

$26.7K CA$37.8K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-20.48%

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

$21.0K CA$29.7K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-49.64%

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

$135 CA$190

$93.7 ₡42.0K

43.72%

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

$32.15 CA$45.44

$35.42 ₡15.9K

-9.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.4 CA$118

$60.0 ₡26.9K

39.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.37 CA$58.5

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-43.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.29 CA$27.28

$25.83 ₡11.6K

-25.32%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 CA$15.24

$7.74 ₡3,471

39.28%

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

$614 CA$868

$1,005 ₡450.9K

-38.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K CA$20.6K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-14.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 CA$74.8

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-27.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.15 CA$55.3

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-29.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 CA$136

$128 ₡57.5K

-25.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.6 CA$132

$130 ₡58.5K

-28.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$935 CA$1,322

$932 ₡418.0K

0.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$876 CA$1,239

$760 ₡340.8K

15.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 CA$1,895

$1,922 ₡862.0K

-30.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 CA$1,777

$1,276 ₡572.1K

-1.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,904 CA$5,520

$2,301 ₡1.0M

69.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,349 CA$4,734

$1,833 ₡821.9K

82.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,103 CA$4,387

$1,029 ₡461.3K

201.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.67

8.62

-45.82%

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

Last update for Williams Lake, BC: October 20, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Williams Lake, BC

$876 43.4%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 13.3% $116

Groceries & Markets

Williams Lake, BC

$353 17.5%

San Jose

$403 21% 14.1% $50

Eating Out

Williams Lake, BC

$268 13.3%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 14.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Williams Lake, BC

$250 12.4%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 24.4% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Williams Lake, BC

$127 6.3%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 37.5% $48

Getting Around

Williams Lake, BC

$82 4.1%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 1.5% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Williams Lake, BC

$63 3.1%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 40% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $935 in Williams Lake, BC versus $932 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 202% higher in Williams Lake, BC, 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 $65.0 in Williams Lake, BC versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $353 in Williams Lake, BC vs $403 in San Jose – so Williams Lake, BC wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Williams Lake, BC

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

17:30 5:30 PM

18:30 6:30 PM

1 h ahead of Williams Lake, BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,753

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Williams Lake, BC San Jose 5,810 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Williams Lake, BC
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

Williams Lake, BC vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Williams Lake, BC is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,028 per month in Williams Lake, BC and $2,886 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 $65.0 in Williams Lake, BC and $62.0 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 $2,019 in Williams Lake, BC and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 5%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Williams Lake, BC at $2,019. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Williams Lake, BC 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, Williams Lake, BC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.