Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Mountain Home, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Mountain Home, ID
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Mountain Home, ID Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Mountain Home, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Mountain Home, ID

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 Mountain Home, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID.

San Jose $2,107
Mountain Home, ID $2,720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $3,919 in Mountain Home, ID.

San Jose $3,081
Mountain Home, ID $3,919

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $5,118 in Mountain Home, ID.

San Jose $4,054
Mountain Home, ID $5,118

Living in San Jose costs roughly 23% less than in Mountain Home, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Mountain Home, ID 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$22.66 $22.66

-45.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$86.0 $86.0

-27.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$10.36 $10.36

13.03%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$4.60 $4.60

-1.30%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.77 $2.77

-0.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.07 $2.07

-10.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.37 $5.37

-37.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$8.25 $8.25

-47.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.00 $1.00

136.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.65 $3.65

-15.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$4.51 $4.51

-44.35%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.08 $4.08

-13.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$12.37 $12.37

-14.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$11.93 $11.93

-11.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$16.77 $16.77

-16.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$5.18 $5.18

0.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.66 $1.66

-0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.45 $4.45

9.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$4.62 $4.62

-16.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.89 $2.89

35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$3.04 $3.04

23.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.22 $2.22

-49.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.10 $2.10

53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$9.77 $9.77

-38.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$14.80 $14.80

34.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.99 $1.99

41.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.51 $3.51

3.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.79 $1.79

-39.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$65.0 $65.0

0.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.67 $3.67

-38.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.83 $1.83

-2.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$30.85 $30.85

-74.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.19 $1.19

26.05%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$32.1K $32.1K

4.40%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$27.7K $27.7K

52.60%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$198 $198

-53.00%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$57.8 $57.8

-37.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$70.5 $70.5

-14.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$38.16 $38.16

80.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$13.01 $13.01

-41.05%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,520 $1,520

-36.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$19.6K $19.6K

-3.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$51.8 $51.8

36.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$35.51 $35.51

59.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$102 $102

26.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$129 $129

1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,604 $1,604

-27.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,371 $1,371

-31.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,767 $2,767

-28.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,092 $2,092

-33.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$3,091 $3,091

-13.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,344 $2,344

-13.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.59

30.80%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mountain Home, ID: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Mountain Home, ID

$1.4K 50.4% 45.3% $427

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Mountain Home, ID

$400 14.7% 0.7% $2.6

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Mountain Home, ID

$330 12.2% 42.1% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Mountain Home, ID

$327 12% 71.9% $137

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Mountain Home, ID

$143 5.3% 17.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Mountain Home, ID

$64 2.4% 23.8% $20

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Mountain Home, ID

$85 3.1% 5.3% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,604 in Mountain Home, ID. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $86 in Mountain Home, ID. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $400, with Mountain Home, ID cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Mountain Home, ID

🕒 Local time

21:52 9:52 PM

20:52 8:52 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

11,656

💱 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 = 0.891 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 = 0.891 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Mountain Home, ID 4,790 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Mountain Home, ID

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 Mountain Home, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,161 in San Jose and $4,079 in Mountain Home, ID to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,604 in Mountain Home, ID. 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 $86 in Mountain Home, ID. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $972 in San Jose versus $1,520 in Mountain Home, ID. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Mountain Home, ID. 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.