Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilmington, DE and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,557 in Wilmington, DE, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Wilmington, DE outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

122

Cost of Living Index in Wilmington, DE
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Wilmington, DE Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Wilmington, DE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,557

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,557 per month in Wilmington, DE vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Wilmington, DE $2,557
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,433 per month in Wilmington, DE vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Wilmington, DE $3,433
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $4,309 per month in Wilmington, DE vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Wilmington, DE $4,309
San Jose $4,054

Wilmington, DE costs about 21% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wilmington, DE and San Jose sit above the global median – Wilmington, DE by 89%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 $20.04

$12.37 ₡5,563

62.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 $74.8

$62.4 ₡28.0K

19.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 $10.30

$11.71 ₡5,264

-12.04%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$4.54 ₡2,040

9.03%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$2.75 ₡1,238

-20.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.86 ₡837

-29.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.35 ₡1,505

20.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 $6.13

$4.32 ₡1,944

41.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.36 ₡1,061

-52.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.07 ₡1,379

-0.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.51 ₡1,128

9.96%

Eggs

$3.08 $3.08

$3.53 ₡1,585

-12.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$10.54 ₡4,738

-11.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.50 $8.50

$10.57 ₡4,754

-19.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 $14.58

$13.92 ₡6,261

4.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$5.20 ₡2,338

-10.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.65 ₡740

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$4.89 ₡2,198

-9.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$3.84 ₡1,728

-0.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.91 ₡1,757

-35.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.76 ₡1,692

-34.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.12 ₡504

82.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$3.22 ₡1,447

-69.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.92 $9.92

$6.02 ₡2,706

64.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.96 $12.96

$19.84 ₡8,919

-34.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.81 ₡1,264

-13.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.65 ₡1,643

1.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.08 ₡487

89.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.2 $60.2

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-7.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.26 ₡1,018

72.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.78 ₡799

-10.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.47 $27.47

$7.90 ₡3,551

247.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.50 ₡673

-29.33%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-18.50%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-39.38%

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

$270 $270

$93.2 ₡41.9K

189.66%

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

$50.7 $50.7

$36.13 ₡16.2K

40.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 $59.8

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-1.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.69 $24.69

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-64.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.19 $15.19

$24.94 ₡11.2K

-39.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.87 $11.87

$7.67 ₡3,449

54.76%

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

$1,605 $1,605

$972 ₡436.9K

65.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K $25.7K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

36.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 $36.92

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-47.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.59 $47.59

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-16.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.1 $84.1

$129 ₡57.8K

-34.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 $90.8

$131 ₡58.8K

-30.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,729 $1,729

$1,170 ₡525.9K

47.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 $1,308

$943 ₡424.1K

38.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 $2,728

$1,984 ₡892.0K

37.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 $1,613

$1,400 ₡629.5K

15.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,215 $2,215

$2,681 ₡1.2M

-17.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,081 $2,081

$2,037 ₡915.8K

2.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,946 $3,946

$987 ₡443.6K

299.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.3

8.62

-26.91%

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

Last update for Wilmington, DE: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wilmington, DE

$1.3K 51.2%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 27.9% $365

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilmington, DE

$380 14.9%

San Jose

$190 9% 50.1% $191

Groceries & Markets

Wilmington, DE

$325 12.7%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 23.8% $77

Eating Out

Wilmington, DE

$297 11.6%

San Jose

$232 11% 21.8% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Wilmington, DE

$117 4.6%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 49.1% $57

Getting Around

Wilmington, DE

$80 3.1%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 0.6% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Wilmington, DE

$48 1.9%

San Jose

$84 4% 74% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,729 in Wilmington, DE 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 Wilmington, DE are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Wilmington, DE versus $62 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $325 in Wilmington, DE vs $403 in San Jose – so Wilmington, DE wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wilmington, DE

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

10:37 10:37 AM

09:37 9:37 AM

1 h behind Wilmington, DE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,826

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 = 0.89 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

Highest

Between locations

Wilmington, DE San Jose 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Wilmington, DE
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

Wilmington, DE vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Wilmington, DE is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,835 per month in Wilmington, DE 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 $1,729 in Wilmington, DE.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Wilmington, DE 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 $2,557 in Wilmington, DE and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 18% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Wilmington, DE at $2,557. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wilmington, DE 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, Wilmington, DE makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.