Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Joseph, MO and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,485 in Saint Joseph, MO, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Saint Joseph, MO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

121

Cost of Living Index in Saint Joseph, MO
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Saint Joseph, MO Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Saint Joseph, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,485

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,485 per month in Saint Joseph, MO vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Saint Joseph, MO $2,485
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,629 per month in Saint Joseph, MO vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Saint Joseph, MO $3,629
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,773 per month in Saint Joseph, MO vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Saint Joseph, MO $4,773
San Jose $3,929

Saint Joseph, MO costs about 29% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Saint Joseph, MO and San Jose sit above the global median – Saint Joseph, MO by 83%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.25 $20.25

$12.29 ₡5,513

64.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 $50.1

$62.3 ₡27.9K

-19.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 $10.79

$11.53 ₡5,171

-6.42%

Cappuccino

$5.09 $5.09

$4.35 ₡1,953

17.01%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$2.64 ₡1,183

-18.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.86 ₡836

-40.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.32 ₡1,490

48.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 $7.61

$4.52 ₡2,026

68.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$2.39 ₡1,073

-62.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.08 ₡1,381

5.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$2.50 ₡1,119

144.00%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$3.48 ₡1,562

34.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.63 $11.63

$10.74 ₡4,815

8.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 $8.39

$10.32 ₡4,629

-18.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.71 $14.71

$14.10 ₡6,325

4.33%

Apples (1kg)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.03 ₡2,256

38.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.59 ₡714

35.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.84 ₡2,171

19.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.96 ₡1,776

10.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$3.76 ₡1,684

-9.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.73 ₡1,674

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.08 ₡485

76.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.25 ₡1,456

-22.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.74 $8.74

$5.86 ₡2,627

49.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.28 $17.28

$20.28 ₡9,095

-14.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.90 ₡1,300

-35.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.73 ₡1,673

-34.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.08 ₡486

82.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.50 ₡1,123

104.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.63 ₡732

11.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.53 $35.53

$8.71 ₡3,904

307.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.58 ₡709

-34.18%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-17.64%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-36.65%

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

$147 $147

$93.7 ₡42.0K

56.92%

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

$47.87 $47.87

$35.42 ₡15.9K

35.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 $66.0

$60.0 ₡26.9K

10.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.97 $40.97

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-43.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 $15.29

$7.74 ₡3,471

97.55%

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

$812 $812

$1,005 ₡450.9K

-19.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K $20.8K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

23.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.92 $47.92

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-34.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 $34.63

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-37.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 $89.1

$128 ₡57.5K

-30.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$130 ₡58.5K

-10.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 $1,616

$932 ₡418.0K

73.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$760 ₡340.8K

69.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 $2,489

$1,922 ₡862.0K

29.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,185 $2,185

$1,276 ₡572.1K

71.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,569 $1,569

$2,301 ₡1.0M

-31.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,566 $1,566

$1,833 ₡821.9K

-14.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,880 $2,880

$1,029 ₡461.3K

180.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

8.62

-26.10%

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

Last update for Saint Joseph, MO: 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

Saint Joseph, MO

$1.3K 51.9%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 41.1% $529

Groceries & Markets

Saint Joseph, MO

$403 16.2%

San Jose

$403 21% 0% $0.1

Eating Out

Saint Joseph, MO

$308 12.4%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 25.8% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Joseph, MO

$261 10.5%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 27.5% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Joseph, MO

$130 5.2%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 34.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Joseph, MO

$72 2.9%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 23.1% $17

Getting Around

Saint Joseph, MO

$22 * 0.9%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 265% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,616 in Saint Joseph, MO versus $932 in San Jose. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 180% higher in Saint Joseph, MO, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Saint Joseph, MO versus $62.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $403 – making Saint Joseph, MO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Joseph, MO

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

16:51 4:51 PM

1 h behind Saint Joseph, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,780

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

Saint Joseph, MO San Jose 3,480 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Joseph, 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

Saint Joseph, MO vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Joseph, MO costs about 29% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,727 per month in Saint Joseph, MO and $2,886 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,485 in Saint Joseph, MO and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 29%.

Kindergarten costs $812 per month in Saint Joseph, MO and $1,005 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Saint Joseph, MO at $2,485. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Joseph, MO it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,924 versus $2,485 in Saint Joseph, MO. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint Joseph, MO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.