Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Des Moines, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Des Moines, IA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Jose and in Des Moines, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA.

San Jose $1,924
Des Moines, IA $2,171

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,926 in San Jose versus $3,236 in Des Moines, IA.

San Jose $2,926
Des Moines, IA $3,236

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,929 in San Jose versus $4,301 in Des Moines, IA.

San Jose $3,929
Des Moines, IA $4,301

Living in San Jose costs roughly 11% less than in Des Moines, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 42% above, Des Moines, IA 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$19.69 $19.69

-37.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$80.8 $80.8

-22.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$12.22 $12.22

-5.65%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$6.16 $6.16

-29.38%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.93 $2.93

-9.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$2.56 $2.56

-27.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$4.99 $4.99

-33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$5.89 $5.89

-23.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$0.91 $0.91

162.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$3.03 $3.03

1.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$3.38 $3.38

-26.04%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$4.00 $4.00

-13.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$9.69 $9.69

10.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$9.91 $9.91

4.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$13.68 $13.68

3.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$4.33 $4.33

16.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.51 $1.51

5.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$4.54 $4.54

6.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$3.68 $3.68

7.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$3.07 $3.07

22.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.14 $2.14

74.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.38 $2.38

-54.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$2.19 $2.19

48.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$7.85 $7.85

-25.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$14.79 $14.79

37.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.70 $1.70

70.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$3.09 $3.09

20.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$1.73 $1.73

-37.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

$58.1 $58.1

12.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$1.97 $1.97

26.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.23 $1.23

32.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$19.70 $19.70

-55.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$0.93 $0.93

69.89%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$27.2K $27.2K

23.64%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$25.1K $25.1K

65.70%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$185 $185

-49.27%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$53.6 $53.6

-33.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$70.2 $70.2

-14.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$63.8 $63.8

13.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

$20.14 $20.14

28.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$9.99 $9.99

-22.52%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,187 $1,187

-15.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$12.0K $12.0K

41.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$59.5 $59.5

22.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$42.98 $42.98

28.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$101 $101

27.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$145 $145

-10.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$1,177 $1,177

-20.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$872 $872

-12.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$1,738 $1,738

10.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$1,394 $1,394

-8.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$2,320 $2,320

-0.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$2,325 $2,325

-21.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$3,647 $3,647

-71.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.56

31.40%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2% 14.8% $113

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1% 13.3% $54

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1% 42.8% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2% 63.1% $119

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2% 10% $17

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9% 4.9% $4.3

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4% 9.1% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $932 in San Jose and $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Moines, IA pays 255% 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: $62.0 in San Jose vs $81.0 in Des Moines, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $349, with Des Moines, IA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🕒 Local time

07:15 7:15 AM

08:15 8:15 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

214,133

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Des Moines, IA 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Des Moines, IA

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

San Jose vs Des Moines, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Des Moines, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 255% lower in Des Moines, IA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $932 in San Jose versus $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. 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 $62.0 versus $81.0 in Des Moines, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,924 per month in San Jose versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Des Moines, IA. 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 $1,924 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Jose and Des Moines, IA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Des Moines, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.