Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Missoula, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,609 in Missoula, MT, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Missoula, MT
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Missoula, MT Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Missoula, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Missoula, 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 Missoula, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,609 in Missoula, MT.

San Jose $2,107
Missoula, MT $2,609

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $4,087 in Missoula, MT.

San Jose $3,081
Missoula, MT $4,087

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $5,565 in Missoula, MT.

San Jose $4,054
Missoula, MT $5,565

Living in San Jose costs roughly 19% less than in Missoula, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Missoula, MT 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$16.73 $16.73

-26.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$75.3 $75.3

-17.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$9.27 $9.27

26.32%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$4.37 $4.37

3.89%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$3.10 $3.10

-11.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.34 $2.34

-20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.86 $5.86

-42.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$5.93 $5.93

-27.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.12 $1.12

110.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.44 $3.44

-10.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$4.98 $4.98

-49.60%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.27 $4.27

-17.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$24.81 $24.81

-57.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$9.67 $9.67

9.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$18.98 $18.98

-26.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$4.81 $4.81

8.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.46 $1.46

13.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$6.51 $6.51

-24.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$3.73 $3.73

2.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.33 $2.33

67.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.96 $2.96

27.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.41 $2.41

-53.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$3.90 $3.90

-17.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$10.50 $10.50

-42.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$24.82 $24.82

-20.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.98 $1.98

41.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$4.38 $4.38

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$5.13 $5.13

-55.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$4.99 $4.99

-64.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$39.29 $39.29

-79.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.09 $1.09

37.61%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$32.3K $32.3K

3.60%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$24.5K $24.5K

72.32%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$139 $139

-32.87%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$52.7 $52.7

-31.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$69.2 $69.2

-12.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$49.22 $49.22

40.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$22.25 $22.25

12.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$13.75 $13.75

-44.22%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$2,009 $2,009

-51.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$17.7K $17.7K

6.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$66.4 $66.4

6.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$44.46 $44.46

27.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$104 $104

23.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$149 $149

-12.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,522 $1,522

-23.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,324 $1,324

-28.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,992 $2,992

-33.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,649 $2,649

-47.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$4,211 $4,211

-36.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$3,475 $3,475

-41.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,666 $3,666

-73.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.84

26.02%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Missoula, MT: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Missoula, MT

$1.3K 50.7% 40.3% $380

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Missoula, MT

$477 18.3% 18.6% $75

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Missoula, MT

$277 10.6% 19.2% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Missoula, MT

$261 10% 37.2% $71

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Missoula, MT

$164 6.3% 5.8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Missoula, MT

$77 2.9% 9% $7.5

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Missoula, MT

$30 * 1.2% 62.7% $51

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 $1,170 in San Jose and $1,522 in Missoula, MT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Missoula, MT pays about 3.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $75 in Missoula, MT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $477 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Missoula, MT

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

13:02 1:02 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

73,489

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 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 = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Missoula, MT 4,980 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Missoula, 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 Missoula, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 19% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 73% 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 $1,522 in Missoula, MT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $972 in San Jose versus $2,009 in Missoula, MT. 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 versus $75 in Missoula, MT. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,609 in Missoula, MT, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Missoula, MT. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Jose is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Missoula, MT, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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