Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mountain Home, ID and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Mountain Home, ID
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Mountain Home, ID Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Mountain Home, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,720

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Mountain Home, ID $2,720
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,919 in Mountain Home, ID versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Mountain Home, ID $3,919
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,118 in Mountain Home, ID versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Mountain Home, ID $5,118
San Jose $4,054

Living in Mountain Home, ID is roughly 29% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mountain Home, ID 101% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.66 $22.66

$12.37 ₡5,563

83.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 $86.0

$62.4 ₡28.0K

37.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 $10.36

$11.71 ₡5,264

-11.53%

Cappuccino

$4.60 $4.60

$4.54 ₡2,040

1.32%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$2.75 ₡1,238

0.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.86 ₡837

11.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.37 $5.37

$3.35 ₡1,505

60.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 $8.25

$4.32 ₡1,944

90.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$2.36 ₡1,061

-57.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.07 ₡1,379

18.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.51 ₡1,128

79.68%

Eggs

$4.08 $4.08

$3.53 ₡1,585

15.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.37 $12.37

$10.54 ₡4,738

17.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.93 $11.93

$10.57 ₡4,754

12.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.77 $16.77

$13.92 ₡6,261

20.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$5.20 ₡2,338

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.65 ₡740

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$4.89 ₡2,198

-9.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$3.84 ₡1,728

20.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.91 ₡1,757

-26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.76 ₡1,692

-19.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.12 ₡504

98.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$3.22 ₡1,447

-34.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.77 $9.77

$6.02 ₡2,706

62.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$19.84 ₡8,919

-25.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.81 ₡1,264

-29.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.65 ₡1,643

-3.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.08 ₡487

65.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 $65.0

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-0.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 $3.67

$2.26 ₡1,018

62.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.78 ₡799

2.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.85 $30.85

$7.90 ₡3,551

290.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.50 ₡673

-20.67%

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

$32.1K $32.1K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-4.21%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-34.47%

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

$198 $198

$93.2 ₡41.9K

112.75%

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

$57.8 $57.8

$36.13 ₡16.2K

59.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$60.6 ₡27.2K

16.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.16 $38.16

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-44.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$13.01 $13.01

$7.67 ₡3,449

69.62%

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

$1,520 $1,520

$972 ₡436.9K

56.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

3.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 $51.8

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-26.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.51 $35.51

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-37.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$129 ₡57.8K

-20.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$131 ₡58.8K

-1.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$1,170 ₡525.9K

37.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 $1,371

$943 ₡424.1K

45.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,767 $2,767

$1,984 ₡892.0K

39.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,092 $2,092

$1,400 ₡629.5K

49.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,091 $3,091

$2,681 ₡1.2M

15.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,344 $2,344

$2,037 ₡915.8K

15.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

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 Mountain Home, ID: October 31, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mountain Home, ID

$1.4K 50.4%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 31.2% $427

Groceries & Markets

Mountain Home, ID

$400 14.7%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 0.7% $2.6

Eating Out

Mountain Home, ID

$330 12.2%

San Jose

$232 11% 29.6% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mountain Home, ID

$327 12%

San Jose

$190 9% 41.8% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Mountain Home, ID

$143 5.3%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 21.8% $31

Getting Around

Mountain Home, ID

$85 3.1%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 5.1% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Mountain Home, ID

$64 2.4%

San Jose

$84 4% 31.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Mountain Home, ID and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $86 in Mountain Home, ID vs $62 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $400 vs $403, with Mountain Home, ID cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mountain Home, ID

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

20:52 8:52 PM

21:52 9:52 PM

1 h ahead of Mountain Home, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,656

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mountain Home, ID San Jose 4,790 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Mountain Home, ID
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

Mountain Home, ID vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,079 in Mountain Home, ID and $3,161 in San Jose to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,604 in Mountain Home, ID versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62 versus $86 in Mountain Home, ID. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $1,520 in Mountain Home, ID versus $972 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Mountain Home, ID. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.