Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Great Falls, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,223 in Great Falls, MT, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Great Falls, MT outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Great Falls, MT
Learn more

Great Falls, MT Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Great Falls, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Great Falls, MT

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 Great Falls, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,223 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Great Falls, MT $2,223

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,105 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Great Falls, MT $3,105

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $3,987 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Great Falls, MT $3,987

San Jose is about 5% cheaper than Great Falls, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Great Falls, MT sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Great Falls, MT by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$15.08 $15.08

-17.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$39.24 $39.24

58.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$9.70 $9.70

20.72%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$4.38 $4.38

3.65%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.45 $2.45

12.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.95 $1.95

-4.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.97 $5.97

-43.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$6.09 $6.09

-29.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.11 $1.11

112.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.33 $3.33

-7.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$5.00 $5.00

-49.80%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.27 $3.27

7.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$16.62 $16.62

-36.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$10.19 $10.19

3.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$12.15 $12.15

14.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$4.96 $4.96

4.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.40 $1.40

17.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.14 $4.14

18.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$2.21 $2.21

73.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.39 $2.39

63.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.91 $2.91

29.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.40 $2.40

-53.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$3.27 $3.27

-1.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$8.47 $8.47

-28.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$17.94 $17.94

10.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.01 $2.01

39.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$4.43 $4.43

-17.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$29.78 $29.78

119.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$6.16 $6.16

-63.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.35 $1.35

31.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$39.70 $39.70

-80.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.98 $0.98

53.06%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$32.7K $32.7K

2.29%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$24.1K $24.1K

75.57%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$131 $131

-28.79%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$39.45 $39.45

-8.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$68.4 $68.4

-11.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$63.4 $63.4

8.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$11.57 $11.57

-33.71%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$927 $927

4.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$17.7K $17.7K

6.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$25.14 $25.14

180.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$29.60 $29.60

91.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$80.7 $80.7

59.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$64.4 $64.4

103.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,420 $1,420

-17.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,111 $1,111

-15.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,626 $2,626

-24.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,655 $1,655

-15.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,207 $2,207

21.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,205 $2,205

-7.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,555 $3,555

-72.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.2

39.03%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Great Falls, MT: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Great Falls, MT

$1.1K 50% 17.8% $168

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Great Falls, MT

$392 17.7% 2.6% $10

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Great Falls, MT

$262 11.8% 12.7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Great Falls, MT

$239 10.7% 25.7% $49

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Great Falls, MT

$90 4.1% 48.3% $84

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Great Falls, MT

$87 3.9% 2.7% $2.3

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Great Falls, MT

$43 * 1.9% 47.1% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,420 in Great Falls, MT. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Great Falls, MT are about 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $39 in Great Falls, MT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $392 – making Great Falls, MT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Great Falls, MT

🕒 Local time

12:21 12:21 PM

11:21 11:21 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

60,442

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 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 Great Falls, MT 4,900 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Great Falls, MT

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 Great Falls, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Great Falls, MT costs about 5% 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 $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,334 in Great Falls, MT. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,420 in Great Falls, MT.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Great Falls, MT – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $39 in Great Falls, MT. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,107 in San Jose and $2,223 in Great Falls, MT, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,223 in Great Falls, MT. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Great Falls, MT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.