Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Paul, MN and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,438 in Saint Paul, MN, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Saint Paul, MN
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Saint Paul, MN Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Saint Paul, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,438

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,438 per month in Saint Paul, MN vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Saint Paul, MN $2,438
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,743 per month in Saint Paul, MN vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Saint Paul, MN $3,743
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $5,048 per month in Saint Paul, MN vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Saint Paul, MN $5,048
San Jose $3,857

Saint Paul, MN costs about 25% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Saint Paul, MN and San Jose sit above the global median – Saint Paul, MN by 82%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 $15.75

$12.22 ₡5,510

28.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 $68.6

$60.1 ₡27.1K

14.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$11.77 ₡5,305

-14.10%

Cappuccino

$5.26 $5.26

$4.30 ₡1,939

22.33%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$2.72 ₡1,226

9.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.84 ₡830

45.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$3.28 ₡1,480

87.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 $7.65

$4.36 ₡1,966

75.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.38 ₡1,074

-59.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.12 ₡1,408

26.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.41 ₡1,086

36.93%

Eggs

$3.06 $3.06

$3.47 ₡1,564

-11.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$10.57 ₡4,767

-10.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 $9.71

$10.56 ₡4,758

-8.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.16 $13.16

$13.75 ₡6,196

-4.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$5.04 ₡2,274

-2.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.61 ₡727

-27.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$4.59 ₡2,069

29.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.84 ₡1,731

27.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.77 ₡1,700

3.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.76 ₡1,693

-5.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.12 ₡506

84.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.20 ₡1,441

-45.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.21 $12.21

$5.84 ₡2,632

109.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 $14.34

$19.73 ₡8,897

-27.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.75 ₡1,240

-38.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.66 ₡1,650

-6.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.12 ₡503

95.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$122 $122

$65.1 ₡29.4K

87.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.46 ₡1,110

2.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.54 ₡692

3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.97 $30.97

$8.46 ₡3,815

266.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.55 ₡699

-36.77%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

66.72%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-26.82%

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

$226 $226

$94.7 ₡42.7K

138.37%

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

$51.4 $51.4

$35.11 ₡15.8K

46.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.9 $65.9

$58.6 ₡26.4K

12.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.79 $33.79

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-53.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.29 $8.29

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-67.09%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 $12.96

$7.83 ₡3,532

65.52%

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

$1,499 $1,499

$971 ₡437.9K

54.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K $28.1K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

65.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.97 $40.97

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-42.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.24 $40.24

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-26.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$129 ₡58.2K

-38.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$133 ₡60.0K

-17.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 $1,355

$934 ₡420.9K

45.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 $1,100

$770 ₡347.2K

42.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 $2,529

$1,945 ₡876.7K

30.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,265 $2,265

$1,316 ₡593.5K

72.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,903 $2,903

$2,277 ₡1.0M

27.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,795 ₡809.1K

22.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,120 $4,120

$1,006 ₡453.5K

309.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

8.62

-26.80%

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

Last update for Saint Paul, MN: October 4, 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 Paul, MN

$1.1K 45.5%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 30% $330

Groceries & Markets

Saint Paul, MN

$363 15%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 10% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Paul, MN

$343 14.2%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 45.1% $155

Eating Out

Saint Paul, MN

$288 11.9%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 20.8% $60

Getting Around

Saint Paul, MN

$141 5.9%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 43.6% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Paul, MN

$122 5%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 43.9% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Paul, MN

$60 2.5%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 47.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,355 in Saint Paul, MN versus $934 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 310% higher in Saint Paul, MN, 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 $69.0 in Saint Paul, MN versus $60.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $363 in Saint Paul, MN vs $399 in San Jose – so Saint Paul, MN wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Paul, MN

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

06:37 6:37 AM

05:37 5:37 AM

1 h behind Saint Paul, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

285,068

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

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Highest

Between locations

Saint Paul, MN San Jose 3,990 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint Paul, MN
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 Paul, MN vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint Paul, MN is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,657 per month in Saint Paul, MN and $2,924 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,499 per month in Saint Paul, MN and $971 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Saint Paul, MN – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Saint Paul, MN at $2,438. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Paul, MN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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