Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Girardeau, MO and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,129 in Cape Girardeau, MO, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Cape Girardeau, MO
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Cape Girardeau, MO Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Cape Girardeau, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,129

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,129 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Cape Girardeau, MO $2,129
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,277 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Cape Girardeau, MO $3,277
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,424 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Cape Girardeau, MO $4,424
San Jose $3,934

Living in Cape Girardeau, MO is roughly 10% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cape Girardeau, MO 58% above, San Jose 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.76 $17.76

$12.38 ₡5,551

43.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 $58.6

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-3.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 $7.12

$11.45 ₡5,135

-37.82%

Cappuccino

$6.02 $6.02

$4.39 ₡1,967

37.13%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$2.70 ₡1,211

-0.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.93 ₡864

-3.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.20 ₡1,433

-6.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.71 $7.71

$4.41 ₡1,979

74.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.44 ₡1,093

-57.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.05 ₡1,369

-26.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.44 $7.44

$2.41 ₡1,081

208.71%

Eggs

$3.06 $3.06

$3.40 ₡1,523

-10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.14 $15.14

$10.75 ₡4,823

40.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.63 $18.63

$10.43 ₡4,679

78.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.29 $25.29

$13.99 ₡6,273

80.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$5.25 ₡2,353

-36.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.59 ₡712

21.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$11.43 $11.43

$4.69 ₡2,103

143.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$3.95 ₡1,770

124.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.92 ₡1,760

-45.41%

Onion (1kg)

$6.00 $6.00

$3.68 ₡1,651

63.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.12 ₡503

158.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.19 ₡1,429

-22.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 $7.34

$6.00 ₡2,692

22.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 $12.06

$19.56 ₡8,771

-38.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.82 ₡1,263

-37.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.09 $8.09

$3.59 ₡1,611

125.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.56 ₡701

-48.72%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

36.45%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-30.35%

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

$201 $201

$95.2 ₡42.7K

110.76%

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

$42.29 $42.29

$35.58 ₡16.0K

18.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.7 $80.7

$58.6 ₡26.3K

37.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.39 $20.39

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-71.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$14.98 $14.98

$7.58 ₡3,401

97.63%

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

$818 $818

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-18.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.40 $45.40

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-35.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.35 $39.35

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-29.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 $84.4

$130 ₡58.2K

-34.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.98 $39.98

$131 ₡58.7K

-69.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 $777

$927 ₡415.8K

-16.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 $861

$774 ₡347.2K

11.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 $1,572

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-20.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,672 $1,672

$1,288 ₡577.6K

29.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,444 $1,444

$2,274 ₡1.0M

-36.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 $1,438

$1,831 ₡821.0K

-21.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,408 $2,408

$1,016 ₡455.8K

136.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

8.62

-25.17%

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

Last update for Cape Girardeau, MO: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Girardeau, MO

$861 40.4%

San Jose

$774 40% 10% $86

Groceries & Markets

Cape Girardeau, MO

$516 24.3%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 22.3% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Girardeau, MO

$324 15.2%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 41.5% $134

Eating Out

Cape Girardeau, MO

$284 13.4%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 19.3% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Girardeau, MO

$94 4.4%

San Jose

$174 9% 85% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Girardeau, MO

$50 2.4%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 74.5% $38

Getting Around

Cape Girardeau, MO

- * 0%

San Jose

$82 4.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $777 in Cape Girardeau, MO and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Girardeau, MO pays 137% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59.0 in Cape Girardeau, MO vs $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $516 vs $401, with San Jose cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cape Girardeau, MO

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

23:05 11:05 PM

22:05 10:05 PM

1 h behind Cape Girardeau, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,941

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Cape Girardeau, MO San Jose 3,090 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cape Girardeau, MO
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

Cape Girardeau, MO vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 137% higher in Cape Girardeau, MO, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $777 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $927 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Cape Girardeau, MO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,129 per month in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $1,938 in San Jose – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,129 in Cape Girardeau, MO, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Cape Girardeau, MO. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Jose is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cape Girardeau, MO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Cape Girardeau, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.