Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oxford, MS and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,379 in Oxford, MS, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Oxford, MS outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

114

Cost of Living Index in Oxford, MS
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Oxford, MS Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Oxford, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,379

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,379 in Oxford, MS versus $1,949 in San Jose.

Oxford, MS $2,379
San Jose $1,949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,941 in Oxford, MS versus $2,903 in San Jose.

Oxford, MS $3,941
San Jose $2,903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,503 in Oxford, MS versus $3,857 in San Jose.

Oxford, MS $5,503
San Jose $3,857

Living in Oxford, MS is roughly 22% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oxford, MS 78% above, San Jose 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 $17.06

$12.22 ₡5,510

39.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.7 $59.7

$60.1 ₡27.1K

-0.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 $11.21

$11.77 ₡5,305

-4.76%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$4.30 ₡1,939

15.35%

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

$1.52 $1.52

$2.72 ₡1,226

-44.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.84 ₡830

3.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.28 ₡1,480

35.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 $6.79

$4.36 ₡1,966

55.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.38 ₡1,074

-63.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.12 ₡1,408

-5.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.41 ₡1,086

11.62%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$3.47 ₡1,564

15.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.55 $9.55

$10.57 ₡4,767

-9.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 $9.85

$10.56 ₡4,758

-6.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.75 ₡6,196

4.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$5.04 ₡2,274

-24.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.61 ₡727

-13.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$4.59 ₡2,069

-25.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.84 ₡1,731

-22.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.77 ₡1,700

-29.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.76 ₡1,693

-40.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.12 ₡506

58.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$3.20 ₡1,441

-42.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 $7.34

$5.84 ₡2,632

25.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 $12.06

$19.73 ₡8,897

-38.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.75 ₡1,240

-40.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.66 ₡1,650

-10.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.46 ₡1,110

79.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.54 ₡692

25.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 $32.88

$8.46 ₡3,815

288.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.55 ₡699

-54.84%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

56.61%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-26.89%

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

$139 $139

$94.7 ₡42.7K

46.75%

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

$49.74 $49.74

$35.11 ₡15.8K

41.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.9 $65.9

$58.6 ₡26.4K

12.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.07 $25.07

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-65.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.87 $11.87

$7.83 ₡3,532

51.60%

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

$1,540 $1,540

$971 ₡437.9K

58.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,220 $8,220

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-51.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 $61.6

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-13.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 $52.7

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-3.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 $87.5

$129 ₡58.2K

-32.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 $169

$133 ₡60.0K

27.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 $1,295

$934 ₡420.9K

38.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 $1,266

$770 ₡347.2K

64.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,121 $3,121

$1,945 ₡876.7K

60.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 $3,156

$1,316 ₡593.5K

139.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,391 $3,391

$2,277 ₡1.0M

48.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,942 $2,942

$1,795 ₡809.1K

63.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,786 $4,786

$1,006 ₡453.5K

375.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

8.62

-22.85%

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

Last update for Oxford, MS: October 3, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oxford, MS

$1.3K 53.8%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 39.1% $495

Groceries & Markets

Oxford, MS

$322 13.7%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 23.8% $77

Eating Out

Oxford, MS

$279 11.9%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 18.3% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oxford, MS

$255 10.8%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 26% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Oxford, MS

$167 7.1%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 4.7% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Oxford, MS

$49 2.1%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 79.9% $39

Getting Around

Oxford, MS

$14 * 0.6%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 466% $66

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 $1,295 in Oxford, MS and $934 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oxford, MS pays 376% 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: $60.0 in Oxford, MS vs $60.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $399 per month, with Oxford, MS cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oxford, MS

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

15:45 3:45 PM

14:45 2:45 PM

1 h behind Oxford, MS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,639

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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 11, 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Oxford, MS San Jose 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Oxford, 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

Oxford, MS vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Oxford, MS. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 376% higher in Oxford, MS, 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: $1,295 in Oxford, MS versus $934 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Oxford, MS pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,379 per month in Oxford, MS versus $1,949 in San Jose – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,949 in San Jose versus $2,379 in Oxford, MS, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Oxford, MS. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,949 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Oxford, MS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.