Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and O'Fallon, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,381 in O'Fallon, MO, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in O'Fallon, MO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,924
/mo nomad
O'Fallon, MO
🇺🇸 United States
$2,381
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in O'Fallon, MO

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 O'Fallon, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,381 in O'Fallon, MO.

  • San Jose $1,924
  • O'Fallon, MO $2,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,926 in San Jose versus $3,305 in O'Fallon, MO.

  • San Jose $2,926
  • O'Fallon, MO $3,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,929 in San Jose versus $4,229 in O'Fallon, MO.

  • San Jose $3,929
  • O'Fallon, MO $4,229

Living in San Jose costs roughly 19% less than in O'Fallon, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 42% above, O'Fallon, MO 76% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Jose
O'Fallon, MO
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.29 ₡5,513
$20.03 $20.03
-38.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 ₡27.9K
$60.5 $60.5
2.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.53 ₡5,171
$9.30 $9.30
23.98%
Cappuccino
$4.35 ₡1,953
$3.40 $3.40
27.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 ₡1,183
$2.29 $2.29
15.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 ₡836
$1.53 $1.53
21.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.32 ₡1,490
$2.45 $2.45
35.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.52 ₡2,026
$3.56 $3.56
26.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Jose
O'Fallon, MO
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.39 ₡1,073
$0.93 $0.93
156.99%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 ₡1,381
$3.35 $3.35
-8.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.50 ₡1,119
$2.19 $2.19
14.16%
Eggs
$3.48 ₡1,562
$2.99 $2.99
16.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.74 ₡4,815
$7.32 $7.32
46.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.32 ₡4,629
$8.67 $8.67
19.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.10 ₡6,325
$13.06 $13.06
7.96%
Apples (1kg)
$5.03 ₡2,256
$4.48 $4.48
12.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 ₡714
$1.08 $1.08
47.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.84 ₡2,171
$2.99 $2.99
61.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.96 ₡1,776
$4.48 $4.48
-11.61%
Potato (1kg)
$3.76 ₡1,684
$1.70 $1.70
121.18%
Onion (1kg)
$3.73 ₡1,674
$2.35 $2.35
58.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ₡485
$1.68 $1.68
-35.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.25 ₡1,456
$1.97 $1.97
64.97%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.86 ₡2,627
$6.05 $6.05
-3.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.28 ₡9,095
$8.30 $8.30
144.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$1.85 $1.85
56.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.73 ₡1,673
$2.22 $2.22
68.02%
🚌 Getting Around
San Jose
O'Fallon, MO
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.08 ₡486
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.5 ₡29.4K
$217 $217
-69.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.50 ₡1,123
$2.93 $2.93
-14.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 ₡732
$1.41 $1.41
15.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.71 ₡3,904
$36.45 $36.45
-76.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.58 ₡709
$1.02 $1.02
54.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.6K ₡15.1M
$24.2K $24.2K
39.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.7K ₡18.7M
$24.2K $24.2K
72.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose
O'Fallon, MO
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.7 ₡42.0K
$123 $123
-24.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.42 ₡15.9K
$58.5 $58.5
-39.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.0 ₡26.9K
$70.7 $70.7
-15.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Jose
O'Fallon, MO
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.83 ₡11.6K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.74 ₡3,471
$10.06 $10.06
-23.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Jose
O'Fallon, MO
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,005 ₡450.9K
$768 $768
30.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K ₡7.6M
$20.3K $20.3K
-16.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Jose
O'Fallon, MO
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$73.1 ₡32.8K
$54.1 $54.1
35.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.9K
$37.31 $37.31
48.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 ₡57.5K
$76.7 $76.7
67.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 ₡58.5K
$70.2 $70.2
85.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Jose
O'Fallon, MO
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$932 ₡418.0K
$1,181 $1,181
-21.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$760 ₡340.8K
$1,208 $1,208
-37.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,922 ₡862.0K
$1,687 $1,687
13.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,276 ₡572.1K
$1,641 $1,641
-22.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,301 ₡1.0M
$1,586 $1,586
45.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,833 ₡821.9K
$1,613 $1,613
13.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Jose
O'Fallon, MO
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,029 ₡461.3K
$5,001 $5,001
-79.43%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
6.25
37.92%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for O'Fallon, MO: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Jose
$760
O'Fallon, MO
$1.2K 59% $448
Groceries & Markets
San Jose
$403
O'Fallon, MO
$302 25.2% $101
Eating Out
San Jose
$229
O'Fallon, MO
$264 15.2% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose
$189
O'Fallon, MO
$253 33.6% $64
Clothing & Footwear
San Jose
$174
O'Fallon, MO
$107 38.5% $67
Sport & Entertainment
San Jose
$88
O'Fallon, MO
$20 * 77.1% $68
Getting Around
San Jose
$80
O'Fallon, MO
$227 * 183% $147

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 $1,181 in O'Fallon, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

O'Fallon, MO pays 386% 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 $60.0 in O'Fallon, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $302 per month, with O'Fallon, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇷 San Jose
🇺🇸 O'Fallon, MO
🕒 Local time
19:47 7:47 PM
20:47 8:47 PM
1 h ahead of San Jose
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
342,188 Capital
94,074
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Jose O'Fallon, MO 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • San Jose
  • O'Fallon, MO

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 O'Fallon, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, San Jose or O'Fallon, MO?
San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in O'Fallon, MO. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in San Jose or in O'Fallon, MO?
On paper, salaries run 386% lower in O'Fallon, MO. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in San Jose compared to O'Fallon, MO?
Rent for a central apartment: $932 in San Jose versus $1,181 in O'Fallon, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in San Jose and in O'Fallon, MO?
Childcare runs $1,005 in San Jose versus $768 in O'Fallon, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in San Jose or in O'Fallon, MO?
Shoppers in O'Fallon, MO pay roughly 34% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Can you live on $2,500/month in San Jose or in O'Fallon, MO?
At $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,381 in O'Fallon, MO, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in O'Fallon, MO. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, San Jose or O'Fallon, MO?
Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,924 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in O'Fallon, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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