Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Saint Joseph, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Joseph, MI: $1,925 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Saint Joseph, MI
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Saint Joseph, MI Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Saint Joseph, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $1,925 in Saint Joseph, MI, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Saint Joseph, MI $1,925

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,077 in Saint Joseph, MI, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Saint Joseph, MI $3,077

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,229 in Saint Joseph, MI, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Saint Joseph, MI $4,229

San Jose costs about 9% more than Saint Joseph, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Saint Joseph, MI sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Saint Joseph, MI by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$13.88 $13.88

-10.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$73.8 $73.8

-15.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$9.10 $9.10

28.68%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$4.05 $4.05

12.10%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$3.00 $3.00

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.96 $1.96

-5.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$3.92 $3.92

-14.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$5.09 $5.09

-15.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.81 $0.81

191.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.74 $2.74

12.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$2.86 $2.86

-12.24%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.65 $3.65

-3.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$7.78 $7.78

35.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$10.87 $10.87

-2.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$8.57 $8.57

62.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$5.76 $5.76

-9.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.72 $1.72

-4.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$3.47 $3.47

40.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$5.41 $5.41

-29.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$1.70 $1.70

130.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$3.32 $3.32

13.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.61 $1.61

-30.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.54 $2.54

26.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$12.12 $12.12

-50.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$8.10 $8.10

144.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.68 $1.68

67.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.98 $2.98

22.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.74 $1.74

-37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$61.3 $61.3

6.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.64 $3.64

-37.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.50 $1.50

18.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$30.27 $30.27

-73.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.85 $0.85

76.47%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$24.1K $24.1K

38.72%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.0K $26.0K

62.67%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$171 $171

-45.36%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$52.8 $52.8

-31.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$50.3 $50.3

20.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$39.48 $39.48

74.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$10.64 $10.64

-27.91%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,518 $1,518

-35.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$22.2K $22.2K

-15.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$39.63 $39.63

78.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$49.78 $49.78

13.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$73.7 $73.7

74.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$75.7 $75.7

72.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,074 $1,074

8.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$843 $843

11.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$1,872 $1,872

6.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,788 $1,788

-21.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,543 $2,543

5.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,551 $2,551

-20.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$5,016 $5,016

-80.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.35

35.75%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Saint Joseph, MI: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Saint Joseph, MI

$843 43.8% 10.6% $100

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Saint Joseph, MI

$324 16.8% 19.5% $79

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Saint Joseph, MI

$237 12.3% 1.8% $4.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Saint Joseph, MI

$274 14.2% 44.1% $84

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Saint Joseph, MI

$107 5.6% 38.3% $67

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Saint Joseph, MI

$61 3.2% 27.9% $24

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Saint Joseph, MI

$79 4.1% 1.5% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,074 in Saint Joseph, MI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Saint Joseph, MI are about 5.1 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $74 in Saint Joseph, MI. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $324 in Saint Joseph, MI – so Saint Joseph, MI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Saint Joseph, MI

🕒 Local time

11:45 11:45 AM

12:45 12:45 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

76,780

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Saint Joseph, MI 3,580 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Saint Joseph, 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 Saint Joseph, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose costs about 9% more than Saint Joseph, MI, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $2,888 in Saint Joseph, MI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,170 in San Jose and $1,074 in Saint Joseph, MI. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $1,925 in Saint Joseph, MI. That makes Saint Joseph, MI about 9% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Saint Joseph, MI. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,925 in Saint Joseph, MI to $2,107 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.