Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Mount Pleasant, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Mount Pleasant, MI: $1,915 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Mount Pleasant, MI
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Mount Pleasant, MI Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Mount Pleasant, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Mount Pleasant, MI

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 Mount Pleasant, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $1,915 in Mount Pleasant, MI.

San Jose $2,107
Mount Pleasant, MI $1,915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $2,751 in Mount Pleasant, MI.

San Jose $3,081
Mount Pleasant, MI $2,751

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $3,587 in Mount Pleasant, MI.

San Jose $4,054
Mount Pleasant, MI $3,587

Living in San Jose is roughly 10% more expensive than in Mount Pleasant, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Mount Pleasant, MI 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$17.65 $17.65

-29.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$63.2 $63.2

-1.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$12.85 $12.85

-8.87%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$4.04 $4.04

12.38%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$1.59 $1.59

72.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.03 $2.03

-8.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$4.07 $4.07

-17.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$5.46 $5.46

-20.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.74 $0.74

218.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.12 $3.12

-1.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$3.24 $3.24

-22.53%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$1.77 $1.77

99.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$10.22 $10.22

3.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$11.20 $11.20

-5.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$15.26 $15.26

-8.78%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$3.38 $3.38

53.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.54 $1.54

7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$2.73 $2.73

79.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$4.88 $4.88

-21.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.58 $2.58

51.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$3.11 $3.11

20.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.94 $1.94

-42.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$0.43 $0.43

648.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$10.32 $10.32

-41.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$12.83 $12.83

54.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$3.07 $3.07

-8.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$1.52 $1.52

140.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.94 $1.94

-44.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$39.26 $39.26

66.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.07 $3.07

-26.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.52 $1.52

17.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$23.63 $23.63

-66.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.04 $1.04

44.23%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$30.0K $30.0K

11.49%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.7K $26.7K

58.11%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$219 $219

-57.44%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$60.0 $60.0

-39.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$68.6 $68.6

-11.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$19.83 $19.83

247.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$10.19 $10.19

-24.73%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,357 $1,357

-28.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$32.5K $32.5K

-41.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$58.0 $58.0

21.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$41.15 $41.15

37.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$97.4 $97.4

32.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$118 $118

10.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$791 $791

47.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$730 $730

29.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$1,358 $1,358

46.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,054 $1,054

32.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$1,471 $1,471

82.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$1,475 $1,475

38.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$6,355 $6,355

-84.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.12

68.36%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mount Pleasant, MI: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Mount Pleasant, MI

$730 38.1% 22.6% $213

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Mount Pleasant, MI

$324 16.9% 19.7% $79

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Mount Pleasant, MI

$274 14.3% 17.9% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Mount Pleasant, MI

$348 18.2% 83% $158

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Mount Pleasant, MI

$142 7.4% 18.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Mount Pleasant, MI

$40 2.1% 52.3% $44

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Mount Pleasant, MI

$58 3% 28.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $791 in Mount Pleasant, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mount Pleasant, MI pays about 6.4 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $63 in Mount Pleasant, MI. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $324, with Mount Pleasant, MI cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Mount Pleasant, MI

🕒 Local time

12:21 12:21 PM

13:21 1:21 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

15,202

💱 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

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San Jose Mount Pleasant, MI 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Mount Pleasant, MI

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 Mount Pleasant, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $1,915 in Mount Pleasant, MI, so Mount Pleasant, MI is about 9% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 84% 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 $791 in Mount Pleasant, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in San Jose. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,107 per month in San Jose versus $1,915 in Mount Pleasant, MI – Mount Pleasant, MI is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mount Pleasant, MI gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.