Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Mission Viejo, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $3,984 in Mission Viejo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $24,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mission Viejo, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
194

Cost of Living Index in Mission Viejo, CA
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Mission Viejo, CA Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Mission Viejo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Mission Viejo, CA

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 Mission Viejo, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,924 in San Jose versus $3,984 in Mission Viejo, CA.

San Jose $1,924
Mission Viejo, CA $3,984

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,926 in San Jose versus $4,862 in Mission Viejo, CA.

San Jose $2,926
Mission Viejo, CA $4,862

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,929 in San Jose versus $5,741 in Mission Viejo, CA.

San Jose $3,929
Mission Viejo, CA $5,741

Living in San Jose costs roughly 52% less than in Mission Viejo, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 42% above, Mission Viejo, CA 194% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$21.20 $21.20

-42.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$75.2 $75.2

-17.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$10.06 $10.06

14.61%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$5.46 $5.46

-20.33%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.06 $2.06

28.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$1.53 $1.53

21.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$5.14 $5.14

-35.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$5.72 $5.72

-20.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$1.08 $1.08

121.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$3.97 $3.97

-22.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$1.96 $1.96

27.55%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$4.54 $4.54

-23.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$13.87 $13.87

-22.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$13.60 $13.60

-24.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$12.44 $12.44

13.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$5.05 $5.05

-0.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.56 $1.56

1.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$2.91 $2.91

66.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$4.79 $4.79

-17.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$2.14 $2.14

75.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$4.35 $4.35

-14.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.05 $2.05

-47.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$2.27 $2.27

43.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$11.56 $11.56

-49.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$13.64 $13.64

48.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.65 $1.65

75.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$2.67 $2.67

39.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$2.06 $2.06

-47.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$3.48 $3.48

-28.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.90 $1.90

-14.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$23.61 $23.61

-63.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$1.37 $1.37

15.33%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$30.4K $30.4K

10.62%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$26.2K $26.2K

58.78%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$244 $244

-61.69%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$79.8 $79.8

-55.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$65.5 $65.5

-8.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$39.75 $39.75

82.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$11.80 $11.80

-34.41%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$551 $551

82.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$8,298 $8,298

103.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$31.68 $31.68

130.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$34.66 $34.66

59.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$72.1 $72.1

77.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$138 $138

-5.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$2,653 $2,653

-64.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$2,683 $2,683

-71.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$3,774 $3,774

-49.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$2,907 $2,907

-56.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$7,598 $7,598

-69.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$5,292 $5,292

-65.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$5,808 $5,808

-82.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.68

29.04%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Mission Viejo, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Mission Viejo, CA

$2.7K 67.4% 253% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Mission Viejo, CA

$385 9.7% 4.5% $18

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Mission Viejo, CA

$317 8% 38.4% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Mission Viejo, CA

$390 9.8% 106% $201

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Mission Viejo, CA

$124 3.1% 28.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Mission Viejo, CA

$63 1.6% 28.1% $25

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Mission Viejo, CA

$21 * 0.5% 73.6% $59

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $932 in San Jose and $2,653 in Mission Viejo, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mission Viejo, CA pays 465% 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 $75.0 in Mission Viejo, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $385, with Mission Viejo, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Mission Viejo, CA

🕒 Local time

09:33 9:33 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

97,156

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Mission Viejo, CA 4,320 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Mission Viejo, CA

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 Mission Viejo, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose and Mission Viejo, CA differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($1,924 vs $3,984 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 465% lower in Mission Viejo, CA. 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 $2,653 in Mission Viejo, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,005 in San Jose versus $551 in Mission Viejo, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $75.0 in Mission Viejo, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,924 in San Jose versus $3,984 in Mission Viejo, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Mission Viejo, CA. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, San Jose and Mission Viejo, CA 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 107% less than in Mission Viejo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.