Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Lawton, OK

For one person, living costs are similar in San Jose and in Lawton, OK: $1,938 and $1,903 a month, rent and utilities included.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Lawton, OK
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Lawton, OK Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Lawton, OK

🇺🇸 United States

$1,903

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Lawton, OK

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 Lawton, OK actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $1,903 in Lawton, OK, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Lawton, OK $1,903

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $2,675 in Lawton, OK, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Lawton, OK $2,675

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $3,448 in Lawton, OK, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Lawton, OK $3,448

San Jose costs about 2% more than Lawton, OK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Lawton, OK sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, Lawton, OK by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$14.08 $14.08

-12.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$60.0 $60.0

1.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$9.04 $9.04

26.66%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$4.38 $4.38

0.23%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$2.20 $2.20

22.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$1.46 $1.46

32.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$5.05 $5.05

-36.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$5.61 $5.61

-21.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$0.82 $0.82

197.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$1.45 $1.45

110.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$2.22 $2.22

8.56%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$1.65 $1.65

106.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$8.84 $8.84

21.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$7.19 $7.19

45.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$8.92 $8.92

56.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$3.10 $3.10

69.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.19 $1.19

33.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$1.92 $1.92

144.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$2.56 $2.56

54.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$1.22 $1.22

221.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$2.01 $2.01

83.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.71 $1.71

-34.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.83 $1.83

74.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$7.69 $7.69

-21.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$10.37 $10.37

88.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$2.32 $2.32

21.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$3.78 $3.78

-5.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$80.0 $80.0

-16.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.27 $2.27

10.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$5.04 $5.04

-67.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$20.39 $20.39

-58.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.84 $0.84

85.71%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$32.8K $32.8K

-31.63%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$27.1K $27.1K

31.20%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$159 $159

-40.14%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$88.6 $88.6

-59.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$67.6 $67.6

-13.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$14.97 $14.97

385.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$12.22 $12.22

-37.97%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$642 $642

55.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$30.22 $30.22

133.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$28.89 $28.89

93.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$68.7 $68.7

88.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$61.2 $61.2

113.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$1,001 $1,001

-7.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$865 $865

-10.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$1,269 $1,269

54.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$1,221 $1,221

5.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$1,241 $1,241

83.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$1,223 $1,223

49.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$2,914 $2,914

-65.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.46

93.27%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lawton, OK: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Lawton, OK

$865 45.5% 11.7% $91

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Lawton, OK

$247 13% 38.4% $154

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Lawton, OK

$243 12.8% 6.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Lawton, OK

$315 16.6% 66.5% $126

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Lawton, OK

$85 4.5% 51.1% $89

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Lawton, OK

$39 2.1% 55.1% $48

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Lawton, OK

$108 * 5.7% 31.2% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $1,001 in Lawton, OK. 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 187% higher in Lawton, OK, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose versus $60.0 in Lawton, OK. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $247 – making Lawton, OK the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Lawton, OK

🕒 Local time

02:38 2:38 AM

03:38 3:38 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

87,540

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

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San Jose Lawton, OK 3,110 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Lawton, OK

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 Lawton, OK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,938 in San Jose, $1,903 in Lawton, OK – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $2,854 in Lawton, OK. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 62% more in San Jose, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose and $60.0 in Lawton, OK. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lawton, OK, where all-in costs run around $1,903, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Lawton, OK it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,903 in Lawton, OK to $1,938 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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