Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hattiesburg, MS and San Jose

For one person, living costs are similar in Hattiesburg, MS and in San Jose: $1,965 and $1,924 a month, rent and utilities included.

Hattiesburg, MS
🇺🇸 United States
$1,965
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,924
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,965 in Hattiesburg, MS versus $1,924 in San Jose.

  • Hattiesburg, MS $1,965
  • San Jose $1,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,880 in Hattiesburg, MS versus $2,926 in San Jose.

  • Hattiesburg, MS $2,880
  • San Jose $2,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,795 in Hattiesburg, MS versus $3,929 in San Jose.

  • Hattiesburg, MS $3,795
  • San Jose $3,929

Living in Hattiesburg, MS is roughly 2% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hattiesburg, MS 45% above, San Jose 42% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hattiesburg, MS
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.83 $15.83
$12.29 ₡5,513
28.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.3 $79.3
$62.3 ₡27.9K
27.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.46 $10.46
$11.53 ₡5,171
-9.28%
Cappuccino
$5.57 $5.57
$4.35 ₡1,953
28.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 $2.52
$2.64 ₡1,183
-4.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 $2.11
$1.86 ₡836
13.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.10 $5.10
$3.32 ₡1,490
53.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.07 $6.07
$4.52 ₡2,026
34.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hattiesburg, MS
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 $1.24
$2.39 ₡1,073
-48.12%
White Bread (500g)
$3.96 $3.96
$3.08 ₡1,381
28.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.25 $6.25
$2.50 ₡1,119
150.00%
Eggs
$5.29 $5.29
$3.48 ₡1,562
52.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.36 $15.36
$10.74 ₡4,815
43.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.09 $10.09
$10.32 ₡4,629
-2.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.79 $15.79
$14.10 ₡6,325
11.99%
Apples (1kg)
$5.27 $5.27
$5.03 ₡2,256
4.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 $1.63
$1.59 ₡714
2.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.25 $5.25
$4.84 ₡2,171
8.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$3.96 ₡1,776
39.39%
Potato (1kg)
$4.26 $4.26
$3.76 ₡1,684
13.30%
Onion (1kg)
$3.17 $3.17
$3.73 ₡1,674
-15.01%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.08 ₡485
100.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.65 $2.65
$3.25 ₡1,456
-18.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.89 $8.89
$5.86 ₡2,627
51.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.88 $15.88
$20.28 ₡9,095
-21.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.90 ₡1,300
-12.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.95 $3.95
$3.73 ₡1,673
5.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Hattiesburg, MS
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.08 ₡486
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$65.5 ₡29.4K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.43 $3.43
$2.50 ₡1,123
37.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 $1.47
$1.63 ₡732
-9.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.16 $35.16
$8.71 ₡3,904
303.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 $0.82
$1.58 ₡709
-48.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K $33.8K
$33.6K ₡15.1M
0.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K $26.6K
$41.7K ₡18.7M
-36.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hattiesburg, MS
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$145 $145
$93.7 ₡42.0K
54.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$72.3 $72.3
$35.42 ₡15.9K
104.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$73.1 $73.1
$60.0 ₡26.9K
21.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hattiesburg, MS
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.15 $10.15
$25.83 ₡11.6K
-60.70%
Cinema Ticket
$12.43 $12.43
$7.74 ₡3,471
60.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hattiesburg, MS
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,570 $1,570
$1,005 ₡450.9K
56.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.2K $10.2K
$16.9K ₡7.6M
-39.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hattiesburg, MS
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.1 $58.1
$73.1 ₡32.8K
-20.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.90 $43.90
$55.4 ₡24.9K
-20.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.9 $86.9
$128 ₡57.5K
-32.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 $122
$130 ₡58.5K
-6.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hattiesburg, MS
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,049 $1,049
$932 ₡418.0K
12.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$780 $780
$760 ₡340.8K
2.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,586 $1,586
$1,922 ₡862.0K
-17.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,083 $1,083
$1,276 ₡572.1K
-15.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,590 $1,590
$2,301 ₡1.0M
-30.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,617 $1,617
$1,833 ₡821.9K
-11.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hattiesburg, MS
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,976 $2,976
$1,029 ₡461.3K
189.36%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.66
8.62
-22.74%

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

Last update for Hattiesburg, MS: October 17, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hattiesburg, MS
$780
San Jose
$760 2.6% $20
Groceries & Markets
Hattiesburg, MS
$439
San Jose
$403 8.1% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hattiesburg, MS
$290
San Jose
$189 34.8% $101
Eating Out
Hattiesburg, MS
$281
San Jose
$229 18.5% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Hattiesburg, MS
$140
San Jose
$174 24.6% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Hattiesburg, MS
$25 *
San Jose
$88 254% $63
Getting Around
Hattiesburg, MS
$11 *
San Jose
$80 645% $70

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 $1,049 in Hattiesburg, MS and $932 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hattiesburg, MS pays 189% 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: $79.0 in Hattiesburg, MS vs $62.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Hattiesburg, MS
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
14:42 2:42 PM
13:42 1:42 PM
1 h behind Hattiesburg, MS
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
45,989
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hattiesburg, MS San Jose 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hattiesburg, MS
  • 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
Hattiesburg, MS vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Jose cheaper than Hattiesburg, MS?
San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Hattiesburg, MS or San Jose?
Average pay runs 189% higher in Hattiesburg, MS, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Hattiesburg, MS and San Jose?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,049 in Hattiesburg, MS versus $932 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Hattiesburg, MS and in San Jose?
Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Hattiesburg, MS. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Hattiesburg, MS and in San Jose?
All in, you'll spend $1,965 per month in Hattiesburg, MS versus $1,924 in San Jose – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Hattiesburg, MS or in San Jose?
At $1,924 in San Jose versus $1,965 in Hattiesburg, MS, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Hattiesburg, MS. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Hattiesburg, MS or San Jose more family-friendly?
For families, San Jose is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hattiesburg, MS, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Hattiesburg, MS or San Jose?
Safety-wise, Hattiesburg, MS and San Jose are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Hattiesburg, MS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Hattiesburg, MS vs other spots: cost of living compared

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