Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jefferson City, MO and San Jose

For one person, living costs are similar in Jefferson City, MO and in San Jose: $1,853 and $1,938 a month, rent and utilities included.

90

Cost of Living Index in Jefferson City, MO
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Jefferson City, MO Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Jefferson City, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$1,853

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,853 in Jefferson City, MO versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Jefferson City, MO $1,853
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,907 in Jefferson City, MO versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Jefferson City, MO $2,907
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,962 in Jefferson City, MO versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Jefferson City, MO $3,962
San Jose $3,934

Living in Jefferson City, MO costs roughly 4% less than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jefferson City, MO 37% above, San Jose 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.07 $15.07

$12.38 ₡5,551

21.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.75 $40.75

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-33.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.45 ₡5,135

-12.93%

Cappuccino

$5.34 $5.34

$4.39 ₡1,967

21.64%

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

$2.04 $2.04

$2.70 ₡1,211

-24.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.93 ₡864

14.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.41 $5.41

$3.20 ₡1,433

69.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.67 $6.67

$4.41 ₡1,979

51.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$2.44 ₡1,093

-64.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.05 ₡1,369

10.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.41 ₡1,081

83.82%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$3.40 ₡1,523

22.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$10.75 ₡4,823

-57.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 $9.94

$10.43 ₡4,679

-4.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$13.99 ₡6,273

-4.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$5.25 ₡2,353

-16.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.59 ₡712

-1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.69 ₡2,103

-7.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.95 ₡1,770

8.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.92 ₡1,760

-21.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.68 ₡1,651

-10.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.12 ₡503

114.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.19 ₡1,429

-39.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.12 $8.12

$6.00 ₡2,692

35.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.34 $12.34

$19.56 ₡8,771

-36.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.82 ₡1,263

-31.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.59 ₡1,611

7.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.12 ₡503

172.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.50 ₡1,119

2.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.63 ₡733

-25.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.1 $61.1

$8.50 ₡3,812

619.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.56 ₡701

-45.51%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

58.38%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-30.22%

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

$201 $201

$95.2 ₡42.7K

110.88%

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

$66.5 $66.5

$35.58 ₡16.0K

86.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 $70.4

$58.6 ₡26.3K

20.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$7.58 ₡3,401

100.00%

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

$1,192 $1,192

$1,001 ₡449.0K

19.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

24.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-28.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.77 $43.77

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-21.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$130 ₡58.2K

-20.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$131 ₡58.7K

-3.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 $880

$927 ₡415.8K

-5.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 $705

$774 ₡347.2K

-8.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 $1,777

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-9.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 $1,597

$1,288 ₡577.6K

23.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,541 $1,541

$2,274 ₡1.0M

-32.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,732 $1,732

$1,831 ₡821.0K

-5.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,918 $1,918

$1,016 ₡455.8K

88.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

8.62

-23.90%

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

Last update for Jefferson City, 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

Jefferson City, MO

$705 38.1%

San Jose

$774 40% 9.8% $69

Groceries & Markets

Jefferson City, MO

$341 18.4%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 17.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jefferson City, MO

$338 18.2%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 43.9% $148

Eating Out

Jefferson City, MO

$272 14.7%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 15.7% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Jefferson City, MO

$146 7.9%

San Jose

$174 9% 19.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Jefferson City, MO

$30 * 1.6%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 190% $58

Getting Around

Jefferson City, MO

$21 * 1.1%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 293% $61

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 $880 in Jefferson City, MO and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jefferson City, MO pays 89% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Jefferson City, MO vs $61.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $401 per month, with Jefferson City, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jefferson City, MO

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

01:02 1:02 AM

1 h behind Jefferson City, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,079

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 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Jefferson City, MO San Jose 3,290 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Jefferson City, 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

Jefferson City, MO vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jefferson City, MO is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 89% higher in Jefferson City, 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: $880 in Jefferson City, MO versus $927 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,192 in Jefferson City, MO versus $1,001 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jefferson City, MO – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $61.0 in San Jose. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,853 in Jefferson City, MO versus $1,938 in San Jose, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Jefferson City, MO but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Jefferson City, MO the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Jefferson City, MO 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.

Expats usually find Jefferson City, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.