Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Mississauga

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,636 in Mississauga, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mississauga outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Mississauga
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Mississauga Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Mississauga

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,636

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Mississauga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,636 in Mississauga.

San Jose $2,107
Mississauga $2,636

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $3,757 in Mississauga.

San Jose $3,081
Mississauga $3,757

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $4,878 in Mississauga.

San Jose $4,054
Mississauga $4,878

Living in San Jose costs roughly 20% less than in Mississauga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Mississauga 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$16.58 CA$23.25

-25.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$72.5 CA$102

-13.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$10.94 CA$15.34

7.04%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$3.83 CA$5.36

18.54%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$1.73 CA$2.43

58.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.53 CA$2.14

21.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.85 CA$8.20

-42.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$5.74 CA$8.05

-24.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$2.98 CA$4.18

-20.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.64 CA$3.70

16.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$2.48 CA$3.48

1.21%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.45 CA$6.24

-20.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$10.76 CA$15.09

-2.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$10.77 CA$15.10

-1.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$12.78 CA$17.91

8.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$3.40 CA$4.77

52.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.44 CA$2.03

14.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$3.37 CA$4.72

45.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$4.17 CA$5.84

-7.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$1.70 CA$2.38

130.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.37 CA$3.32

58.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.36 CA$3.31

-52.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.53 CA$2.15

110.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$14.99 CA$21.02

-59.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$12.72 CA$17.83

55.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.42 CA$3.39

16.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.63 CA$3.69

38.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.83 CA$3.97

-61.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$100 CA$141

-35.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$2.99 CA$4.19

-24.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.26 CA$1.77

41.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$21.19 CA$29.70

-62.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.21 CA$1.70

23.97%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$27.2K CA$38.1K

23.01%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$22.4K CA$31.4K

88.75%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$135 CA$190

-31.10%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$34.86 CA$48.87

3.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$45.67 CA$64.0

32.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$36.16 CA$50.7

90.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$34.61 CA$48.52

-27.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$11.50 CA$16.12

-33.30%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$343 CA$481

182.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$18.7K CA$26.2K

1.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$45.43 CA$63.7

55.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$37.42 CA$52.5

51.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$88.3 CA$124

45.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$105 CA$148

24.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,721 CA$2,412

-32.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,501 CA$2,104

-37.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,467 CA$3,458

-19.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,250 CA$3,154

-37.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$7,066 CA$9,904

-62.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$5,417 CA$7,593

-62.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,255 CA$4,563

-69.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.55

89.45%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mississauga: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Mississauga

$1.5K 57% 59.2% $558

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Mississauga

$349 13.2% 13.4% $54

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Mississauga

$265 10.1% 14.1% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Mississauga

$216 8.2% 13.6% $26

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Mississauga

$124 4.7% 28.5% $50

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Mississauga

$59 2.2% 29.8% $25

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Mississauga

$121 4.6% 49.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,721 in Mississauga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mississauga pays about 3.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $73 in Mississauga. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $349, with Mississauga cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Mississauga

🕒 Local time

05:15 5:15 AM

06:15 6:15 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

721,599

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Mississauga 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Mississauga

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 Mississauga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $2,636 in Mississauga, so San Jose is about 20% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 70% lower in San Jose. 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: $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,721 in Mississauga. 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 versus $73 in Mississauga. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,107 per month in San Jose versus $2,636 in Mississauga – San Jose is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,636 in Mississauga, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Mississauga. 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.

It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Mississauga on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.