Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,440 in Saint Louis, MO, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Saint Louis, MO
Learn more

Saint Louis, MO Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Saint Louis, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,440

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,440 in Saint Louis, MO versus $1,949 in San Jose.

Saint Louis, MO $2,440
San Jose $1,949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,667 in Saint Louis, MO versus $2,903 in San Jose.

Saint Louis, MO $3,667
San Jose $2,903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,895 in Saint Louis, MO versus $3,857 in San Jose.

Saint Louis, MO $4,895
San Jose $3,857

Living in Saint Louis, MO is roughly 25% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint Louis, MO 82% above, San Jose 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.17 $18.17

$12.22 ₡5,510

48.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 $77.8

$60.1 ₡27.1K

29.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 $11.76

$11.77 ₡5,305

-0.08%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$4.30 ₡1,939

20.93%

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

$2.41 $2.41

$2.72 ₡1,226

-11.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.84 ₡830

-7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 $5.71

$3.28 ₡1,480

74.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$4.36 ₡1,966

63.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$2.38 ₡1,074

-47.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.12 ₡1,408

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$2.41 ₡1,086

146.06%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$3.47 ₡1,564

15.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 $12.96

$10.57 ₡4,767

22.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.86 $15.86

$10.56 ₡4,758

50.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.86 $20.86

$13.75 ₡6,196

51.71%

Apples (1kg)

$8.62 $8.62

$5.04 ₡2,274

71.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.61 ₡727

49.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$4.59 ₡2,069

24.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$3.84 ₡1,731

37.24%

Potato (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.77 ₡1,700

15.65%

Onion (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.76 ₡1,693

30.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.12 ₡506

161.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.20 ₡1,441

-11.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.08 $8.08

$5.84 ₡2,632

38.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.78 $14.78

$19.73 ₡8,897

-25.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.75 ₡1,240

6.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.66 ₡1,650

-8.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.12 ₡503

126.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.0 $78.0

$65.1 ₡29.4K

19.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.46 ₡1,110

45.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.54 ₡692

1.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.91 $39.91

$8.46 ₡3,815

371.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.55 ₡699

-34.84%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

64.37%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-28.42%

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

$246 $246

$94.7 ₡42.7K

159.79%

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

$68.7 $68.7

$35.11 ₡15.8K

95.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 $75.7

$58.6 ₡26.4K

29.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.38 $32.38

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-55.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.91 $19.91

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-20.96%

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 $13.79

$7.83 ₡3,532

76.12%

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

$1,422 $1,422

$971 ₡437.9K

46.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

39.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 $58.9

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-17.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 $39.39

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-28.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 $86.6

$129 ₡58.2K

-32.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$133 ₡60.0K

-9.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 $1,522

$934 ₡420.9K

63.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 $919

$770 ₡347.2K

19.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,127 $2,127

$1,945 ₡876.7K

9.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 $1,702

$1,316 ₡593.5K

29.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,391 $1,391

$2,277 ₡1.0M

-38.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,857 $1,857

$1,795 ₡809.1K

3.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,116 $4,116

$1,006 ₡453.5K

309.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

8.62

-22.04%

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

Last update for Saint Louis, MO: 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

Saint Louis, MO

$919 38.2%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 16.1% $148

Groceries & Markets

Saint Louis, MO

$498 20.7%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 19.9% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Louis, MO

$390 16.2%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 51.7% $202

Eating Out

Saint Louis, MO

$302 12.6%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 24.6% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Louis, MO

$137 5.7%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 27.4% $38

Getting Around

Saint Louis, MO

$100 4.1%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 20% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Louis, MO

$60 2.5%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 46.5% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,522 in Saint Louis, MO and $934 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Louis, MO pays 309% 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: $78.0 in Saint Louis, MO vs $60.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $498 vs $399 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Louis, MO

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

05:36 5:36 AM

1 h behind Saint Louis, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

301,578

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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 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

Saint Louis, MO San Jose 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 309% higher in Saint Louis, 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: $1,522 in Saint Louis, MO versus $934 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,422 in Saint Louis, MO versus $971 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Saint Louis, MO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,949 in San Jose versus $2,440 in Saint Louis, MO, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Saint Louis, MO. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Saint Louis, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.