Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yelm, WA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,432 in Yelm, WA, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Yelm, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

119

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Yelm, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,432

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,432 per month in Yelm, WA vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Yelm, WA $2,432
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,568 per month in Yelm, WA vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Yelm, WA $3,568
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $4,705 per month in Yelm, WA vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Yelm, WA $4,705
San Jose $3,857

Yelm, WA costs about 25% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Yelm, WA and San Jose sit above the global median – Yelm, WA by 81%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.90 $19.90

$12.22 ₡5,510

62.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 $64.2

$60.1 ₡27.1K

6.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.75 $12.75

$11.77 ₡5,305

8.33%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$4.30 ₡1,939

26.28%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$2.72 ₡1,226

7.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.84 ₡830

-11.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.28 ₡1,480

98.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 $7.04

$4.36 ₡1,966

61.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.38 ₡1,074

-52.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.12 ₡1,408

13.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.41 ₡1,086

32.37%

Eggs

$5.27 $5.27

$3.47 ₡1,564

51.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.47 $9.47

$10.57 ₡4,767

-10.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 $10.41

$10.56 ₡4,758

-1.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$13.75 ₡6,196

-3.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$5.04 ₡2,274

-11.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.61 ₡727

-25.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$4.59 ₡2,069

-13.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.84 ₡1,731

-47.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$3.77 ₡1,700

-58.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$3.76 ₡1,693

-59.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.12 ₡506

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 $0.58

$3.20 ₡1,441

-81.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$5.84 ₡2,632

108.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 $15.03

$19.73 ₡8,897

-23.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.75 ₡1,240

-18.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.66 ₡1,650

-33.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.12 ₡503

51.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.46 ₡1,110

-21.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.54 ₡692

18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 $14.97

$8.46 ₡3,815

76.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.55 ₡699

-16.77%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

64.75%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-26.92%

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

$155 $155

$94.7 ₡42.7K

63.57%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$35.11 ₡15.8K

102.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.3 $93.3

$58.6 ₡26.4K

59.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.16 $46.16

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-36.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 $9.58

$7.83 ₡3,532

22.35%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$971 ₡437.9K

50.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

80.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.27 $40.27

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-43.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.49 $30.49

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-44.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 $88.8

$129 ₡58.2K

-31.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$133 ₡60.0K

-22.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 $1,651

$934 ₡420.9K

76.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 $1,104

$770 ₡347.2K

43.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,573 $2,573

$1,945 ₡876.7K

32.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,960 $1,960

$1,316 ₡593.5K

48.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,049 $3,049

$2,277 ₡1.0M

33.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,206 $2,206

$1,795 ₡809.1K

22.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,828 $8,828

$1,006 ₡453.5K

777.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

8.62

-23.55%

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

Last update for Yelm, WA: October 5, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yelm, WA

$1.1K 48.6%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 30.3% $334

Eating Out

Yelm, WA

$327 14.4%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 30.4% $99

Groceries & Markets

Yelm, WA

$321 14.1%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 24.5% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yelm, WA

$319 14%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 41% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Yelm, WA

$118 5.2%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 48.3% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Yelm, WA

$65 2.9%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 34.4% $23

Getting Around

Yelm, WA

$18 * 0.8%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 347% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,651 in Yelm, WA versus $934 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 778% higher in Yelm, 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 Yelm, WA versus $60.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $321 in Yelm, WA vs $399 in San Jose – so Yelm, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Yelm, WA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

14:09 2:09 PM

15:09 3:09 PM

1 h ahead of Yelm, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,617

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Yelm, WA San Jose 5,480 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Yelm, 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

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

Yes – Yelm, WA is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,648 per month in Yelm, WA and $2,924 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 $2,432 in Yelm, WA and $1,949 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 25%.

Kindergarten costs $1,458 per month in Yelm, WA and $971 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 $1,949, than in Yelm, WA at $2,432. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yelm, 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.

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, Yelm, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.