Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilmington, NC and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,870 in Wilmington, NC, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Wilmington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,870

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,870 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $2,870
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $4,089 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $4,089
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $5,308 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $5,308
San Jose $4,054

Wilmington, NC costs about 36% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Wilmington, NC and San Jose sit above the global median – Wilmington, NC by 112%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.77 $14.77

$12.37 ₡5,563

19.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 $80.7

$62.4 ₡28.0K

29.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 $10.98

$11.71 ₡5,264

-6.23%

Cappuccino

$5.56 $5.56

$4.54 ₡2,040

22.47%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.75 ₡1,238

-4.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.86 ₡837

28.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 $5.04

$3.35 ₡1,505

50.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 $7.04

$4.32 ₡1,944

62.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$2.36 ₡1,061

-57.63%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.07 ₡1,379

30.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.51 ₡1,128

140.64%

Eggs

$5.07 $5.07

$3.53 ₡1,585

43.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 $11.62

$10.54 ₡4,738

10.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.72 $14.72

$10.57 ₡4,754

39.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.74 $25.74

$13.92 ₡6,261

84.91%

Apples (1kg)

$6.70 $6.70

$5.20 ₡2,338

28.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.65 ₡740

4.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.78 $6.78

$4.89 ₡2,198

38.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.84 ₡1,728

54.43%

Potato (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.91 ₡1,757

7.67%

Onion (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$3.76 ₡1,692

63.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.12 ₡504

107.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.22 ₡1,447

-0.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.61 $8.61

$6.02 ₡2,706

43.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 $14.35

$19.84 ₡8,919

-27.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.81 ₡1,264

-29.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 $5.84

$3.65 ₡1,643

60.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.08 ₡487

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.8 $78.8

$65.2 ₡29.3K

20.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.26 ₡1,018

74.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.78 ₡799

3.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.75 $29.75

$7.90 ₡3,551

276.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.50 ₡673

-30.67%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-19.02%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-39.83%

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

$291 $291

$93.2 ₡41.9K

212.78%

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

$55.2 $55.2

$36.13 ₡16.2K

52.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$60.6 ₡27.2K

17.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 $56.2

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-18.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.10 $4.10

$24.94 ₡11.2K

-83.56%

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 $14.71

$7.67 ₡3,449

91.79%

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

$1,304 $1,304

$972 ₡436.9K

34.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K $14.1K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-25.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 $71.1

$70.6 ₡31.8K

0.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.04 $43.04

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-24.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 $98.3

$129 ₡57.8K

-23.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.9 $69.9

$131 ₡58.8K

-46.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 $1,640

$1,170 ₡525.9K

40.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 $1,358

$943 ₡424.1K

44.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,830 $2,830

$1,984 ₡892.0K

42.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 $2,045

$1,400 ₡629.5K

46.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,246 $3,246

$2,681 ₡1.2M

21.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,506 $2,506

$2,037 ₡915.8K

23.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,915 $3,915

$987 ₡443.6K

296.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for Wilmington, NC: November 2, 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, NC

$1.4K 47.3%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 30.6% $415

Groceries & Markets

Wilmington, NC

$504 17.6%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 20.1% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilmington, NC

$418 14.6%

San Jose

$190 9% 54.5% $228

Eating Out

Wilmington, NC

$277 9.7%

San Jose

$232 11% 16.2% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Wilmington, NC

$127 4.4%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 37% $47

Getting Around

Wilmington, NC

$100 3.5%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 19.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Wilmington, NC

$86 3%

San Jose

$84 4% 1.6% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,640 in Wilmington, NC 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, NC are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Wilmington, NC versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $504 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wilmington, NC

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

10:46 10:46 AM

09:46 9:46 AM

1 h behind Wilmington, NC

🌤 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

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Between locations

Wilmington, NC San Jose 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Wilmington, NC is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,305 per month in Wilmington, NC 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 $1,640 in Wilmington, NC.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Wilmington, NC 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 $2,870 in Wilmington, NC and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 27% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Wilmington, NC at $2,870. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wilmington, NC 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, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.