Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Winston-Salem, NC and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,454 in Winston-Salem, NC, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Winston-Salem, NC
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Winston-Salem, NC Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Winston-Salem, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,454

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,454 per month in Winston-Salem, NC vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Winston-Salem, NC $2,454
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,747 per month in Winston-Salem, NC vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Winston-Salem, NC $3,747
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $5,039 per month in Winston-Salem, NC vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Winston-Salem, NC $5,039
San Jose $4,054

Winston-Salem, NC costs about 16% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Winston-Salem, NC and San Jose sit above the global median – Winston-Salem, NC by 82%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.56 $22.56

$12.37 ₡5,563

82.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 $79.5

$62.4 ₡28.0K

27.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 $9.89

$11.71 ₡5,264

-15.54%

Cappuccino

$5.31 $5.31

$4.54 ₡2,040

16.96%

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

$3.17 $3.17

$2.75 ₡1,238

15.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.86 ₡837

5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.35 ₡1,505

48.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 $6.14

$4.32 ₡1,944

42.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$2.36 ₡1,061

-39.83%

White Bread (500g)

$4.72 $4.72

$3.07 ₡1,379

53.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$2.51 ₡1,128

274.90%

Eggs

$5.59 $5.59

$3.53 ₡1,585

58.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.15 $18.15

$10.54 ₡4,738

72.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.00 $14.00

$10.57 ₡4,754

32.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.98 $26.98

$13.92 ₡6,261

93.82%

Apples (1kg)

$7.72 $7.72

$5.20 ₡2,338

48.46%

Banana (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.65 ₡740

112.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$4.89 ₡2,198

43.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.43 $7.43

$3.84 ₡1,728

93.49%

Potato (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.91 ₡1,757

25.32%

Onion (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$3.76 ₡1,692

63.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.12 ₡504

157.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.22 ₡1,447

9.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.63 $8.63

$6.02 ₡2,706

43.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 $15.18

$19.84 ₡8,919

-23.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.81 ₡1,264

-40.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 $4.95

$3.65 ₡1,643

35.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.08 ₡487

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.57 $30.57

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-53.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.26 ₡1,018

57.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.78 ₡799

-25.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.96 $14.96

$7.90 ₡3,551

89.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.50 ₡673

-32.67%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-10.02%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-39.12%

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

$177 $177

$93.2 ₡41.9K

89.40%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$36.13 ₡16.2K

43.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 $62.1

$60.6 ₡27.2K

2.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.66 $35.66

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-48.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.31 $16.31

$24.94 ₡11.2K

-34.60%

Cinema Ticket

$12.06 $12.06

$7.67 ₡3,449

57.24%

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

$1,277 $1,277

$972 ₡436.9K

31.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K $25.4K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

34.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.97 $38.97

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-44.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.73 $30.73

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-45.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 $84.5

$129 ₡57.8K

-34.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.7 $93.7

$131 ₡58.8K

-28.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 $1,481

$1,170 ₡525.9K

26.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 $1,035

$943 ₡424.1K

9.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,646 $2,646

$1,984 ₡892.0K

33.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,797 $1,797

$1,400 ₡629.5K

28.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,523 $3,523

$2,681 ₡1.2M

31.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,951 $1,951

$2,037 ₡915.8K

-4.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,606 $3,606

$987 ₡443.6K

265.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

8.62

-22.51%

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

Last update for Winston-Salem, NC: October 31, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Winston-Salem, NC

$1K 42.2%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 8.9% $92

Groceries & Markets

Winston-Salem, NC

$581 23.7%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 30.7% $178

Eating Out

Winston-Salem, NC

$331 13.5%

San Jose

$232 11% 29.9% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Winston-Salem, NC

$291 11.8%

San Jose

$190 9% 34.6% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Winston-Salem, NC

$112 4.5%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 56% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Winston-Salem, NC

$60 2.4%

San Jose

$84 4% 41% $24

Getting Around

Winston-Salem, NC

$45 1.8%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 80% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,481 in Winston-Salem, 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 Winston-Salem, NC are about 3.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $581 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Winston-Salem, NC

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

12:43 12:43 PM

11:43 11:43 AM

1 h behind Winston-Salem, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

241,218

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

Winston-Salem, NC San Jose 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Winston-Salem, 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

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

Yes – Winston-Salem, NC is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,682 per month in Winston-Salem, 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 $1,481 in Winston-Salem, NC.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Winston-Salem, 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 $2,454 in Winston-Salem, NC and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 14% cheaper.

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, Winston-Salem, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.