Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Winona, MN and San Jose

For one person, living costs are similar in Winona, MN and in San Jose: $1,950 and $1,924 a month, rent and utilities included.

95

Cost of Living Index in Winona, MN
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Winona, MN Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Winona, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,950

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,950 per month in Winona, MN vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Winona, MN $1,950
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $2,925 per month in Winona, MN vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Winona, MN $2,925
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $3,900 per month in Winona, MN vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Winona, MN $3,900
San Jose $3,929

Winona, MN costs about 1% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Winona, MN and San Jose sit above the global median – Winona, MN by 44%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.12 $15.12

$12.29 ₡5,513

23.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 $58.5

$62.3 ₡27.9K

-6.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 $11.46

$11.53 ₡5,171

-0.61%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$4.35 ₡1,953

27.36%

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

$1.79 $1.79

$2.64 ₡1,183

-32.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.86 ₡836

-44.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.32 ₡1,490

24.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 $5.90

$4.52 ₡2,026

30.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$2.39 ₡1,073

-58.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 $1.41

$3.08 ₡1,381

-54.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.50 ₡1,119

66.40%

Eggs

$1.75 $1.75

$3.48 ₡1,562

-49.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 $14.72

$10.74 ₡4,815

37.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.41 $13.41

$10.32 ₡4,629

29.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.81 $19.81

$14.10 ₡6,325

40.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$5.03 ₡2,256

-8.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.59 ₡714

-59.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$4.84 ₡2,171

5.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.96 ₡1,776

25.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.76 ₡1,684

-25.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.73 ₡1,674

-18.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.08 ₡485

94.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$3.25 ₡1,456

-27.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 $10.85

$5.86 ₡2,627

85.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.47 $15.47

$20.28 ₡9,095

-23.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.90 ₡1,300

-6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.73 ₡1,673

16.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.08 ₡486

87.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 $66.8

$65.5 ₡29.4K

2.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.50 ₡1,123

55.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.63 ₡732

26.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.95 $42.95

$8.71 ₡3,904

393.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.58 ₡709

-37.34%

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

$31.1K $31.1K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-7.43%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-37.38%

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

$198 $198

$93.7 ₡42.0K

111.24%

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

$29.44 $29.44

$35.42 ₡15.9K

-16.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 $53.2

$60.0 ₡26.9K

-11.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-16.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 $9.82

$7.74 ₡3,471

26.87%

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

$1,718 $1,718

$1,005 ₡450.9K

70.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

41.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 $63.1

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-13.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-9.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$128 ₡57.5K

-17.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$130 ₡58.5K

-5.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 $867

$932 ₡418.0K

-7.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 $686

$760 ₡340.8K

-9.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 $1,285

$1,922 ₡862.0K

-33.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 $1,180

$1,276 ₡572.1K

-7.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,671 $1,671

$2,301 ₡1.0M

-27.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,653 $1,653

$1,833 ₡821.9K

-9.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

8.62

-22.39%

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

Last update for Winona, MN: October 19, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Winona, MN

$686 35.2%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 10.8% $74

Groceries & Markets

Winona, MN

$395 20.3%

San Jose

$403 21% 2.1% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Winona, MN

$280 14.4%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 32.6% $91

Eating Out

Winona, MN

$265 13.6%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 13.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Winona, MN

$154 7.9%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 13.1% $20

Getting Around

Winona, MN

$89 4.6%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 9.7% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Winona, MN

$80 4.1%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 10.1% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $867 in Winona, MN 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Winona, MN versus $62.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $395 vs $403 – making Winona, MN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Winona, MN

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

08:55 8:55 AM

07:55 7:55 AM

1 h behind Winona, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,533

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Winona, MN San Jose 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Winona, MN
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

Winona, MN vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Winona, MN is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,924 per month in Winona, MN 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 $58.0 in Winona, MN 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 $1,950 in Winona, MN and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 1%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Winona, MN at $1,950. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Winona, MN 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.

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 San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Winona, MN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.