Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yakima, WA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,253 in Yakima, WA, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Yakima, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

109

Cost of Living Index in Yakima, WA
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Yakima, WA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Yakima, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,253

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,253 per month in Yakima, WA vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Yakima, WA $2,253
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,276 per month in Yakima, WA vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Yakima, WA $3,276
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,299 per month in Yakima, WA vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Yakima, WA $4,299
San Jose $3,929

Yakima, WA costs about 17% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Yakima, WA and San Jose sit above the global median – Yakima, WA by 66%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.57 $15.57

$12.29 ₡5,513

26.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 $64.1

$62.3 ₡27.9K

2.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.38 $11.38

$11.53 ₡5,171

-1.30%

Cappuccino

$4.54 $4.54

$4.35 ₡1,953

4.37%

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

$2.15 $2.15

$2.64 ₡1,183

-18.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.86 ₡836

41.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.32 ₡1,490

13.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$4.52 ₡2,026

-7.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.39 ₡1,073

-58.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.08 ₡1,381

26.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.50 ₡1,119

44.00%

Eggs

$3.22 $3.22

$3.48 ₡1,562

-7.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 $11.70

$10.74 ₡4,815

8.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$10.32 ₡4,629

-13.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 $14.80

$14.10 ₡6,325

4.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$5.03 ₡2,256

-30.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.59 ₡714

-0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$4.84 ₡2,171

-11.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$3.96 ₡1,776

-13.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$3.76 ₡1,684

-39.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.73 ₡1,674

-42.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.08 ₡485

89.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.25 ₡1,456

-48.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.34 $12.34

$5.86 ₡2,627

110.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 $14.06

$20.28 ₡9,095

-30.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.90 ₡1,300

-39.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.73 ₡1,673

29.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.08 $5.08

$1.08 ₡486

370.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.50 ₡1,123

4.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.63 ₡732

-43.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.08 $30.08

$8.71 ₡3,904

245.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.58 ₡709

-19.62%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-15.90%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-34.70%

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

$219 $219

$93.7 ₡42.0K

133.53%

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

$54.1 $54.1

$35.42 ₡15.9K

52.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$60.0 ₡26.9K

15.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 $51.4

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-29.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$14.10 $14.10

$7.74 ₡3,471

82.17%

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

$1,720 $1,720

$1,005 ₡450.9K

71.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,241 $7,241

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-57.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 $61.7

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-15.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.66 $43.66

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-21.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 $81.5

$128 ₡57.5K

-36.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$130 ₡58.5K

-15.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 $1,044

$932 ₡418.0K

11.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 $1,063

$760 ₡340.8K

39.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 $1,694

$1,922 ₡862.0K

-11.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 $1,749

$1,276 ₡572.1K

37.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,662 $2,662

$2,301 ₡1.0M

15.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,471 $2,471

$1,833 ₡821.9K

34.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,530 $3,530

$1,029 ₡461.3K

243.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

8.62

-25.29%

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

Last update for Yakima, WA: 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

Yakima, WA

$1.1K 47.2%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 28.5% $303

Groceries & Markets

Yakima, WA

$348 15.4%

San Jose

$403 21% 16% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yakima, WA

$342 15.2%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 44.7% $153

Eating Out

Yakima, WA

$260 11.5%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 11.8% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Yakima, WA

$133 5.9%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 30.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Yakima, WA

$80 3.5%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 10.7% $8.5

Getting Around

Yakima, WA

$28 * 1.2%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 192% $53

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,044 in Yakima, WA 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 243% higher in Yakima, WA, 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 $64.0 in Yakima, WA versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $348 in Yakima, WA vs $403 in San Jose – so Yakima, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Yakima, WA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

03:57 3:57 AM

04:57 4:57 AM

1 h ahead of Yakima, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

96,968

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

Yakima, WA San Jose 5,330 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Yakima, WA
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

Yakima, WA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Yakima, WA is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,379 per month in Yakima, WA 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,253 in Yakima, WA and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 17%.

Kindergarten costs $1,720 per month in Yakima, WA and $1,005 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Yakima, WA at $2,253. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yakima, WA 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, Yakima, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.