Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Springfield, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,208 in Springfield, MO, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Springfield, MO
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Springfield, MO Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Springfield, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $2,208 in Springfield, MO, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Springfield, MO $2,208

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $3,251 in Springfield, MO, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Springfield, MO $3,251

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $4,294 in Springfield, MO, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Springfield, MO $4,294

San Jose is about 12% cheaper than Springfield, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Springfield, MO sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, Springfield, MO by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$27.40 $27.40

-54.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$59.5 $59.5

2.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$11.17 $11.17

2.51%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$4.91 $4.91

-10.59%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$2.30 $2.30

17.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$2.20 $2.20

-12.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$4.55 $4.55

-29.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$6.59 $6.59

-33.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.14 $1.14

114.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$3.32 $3.32

-8.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$2.19 $2.19

10.05%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$3.76 $3.76

-9.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$11.09 $11.09

-3.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$8.59 $8.59

21.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$15.31 $15.31

-8.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$4.50 $4.50

16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.08 $1.08

47.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$2.97 $2.97

57.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$4.31 $4.31

-8.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$1.65 $1.65

137.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$2.36 $2.36

55.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.75 $1.75

-36.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.98 $1.98

61.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$8.97 $8.97

-33.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$13.24 $13.24

47.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.78 $1.78

58.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$4.34 $4.34

-17.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.28 $1.28

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$45.66 $45.66

46.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$3.01 $3.01

-16.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.46 $1.46

11.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$36.10 $36.10

-76.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.96 $0.96

62.50%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$34.8K $34.8K

-35.62%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$26.5K $26.5K

34.05%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$275 $275

-65.38%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$59.7 $59.7

-40.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$72.3 $72.3

-18.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$57.8 $57.8

25.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$34.98 $34.98

-28.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$12.02 $12.02

-36.94%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$760 $760

31.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$72.3 $72.3

-2.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$36.70 $36.70

52.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$77.3 $77.3

67.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$123 $123

5.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$991 $991

-6.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$816 $816

-5.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$1,717 $1,717

14.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$1,366 $1,366

-5.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$1,772 $1,772

28.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$1,811 $1,811

1.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$2,927 $2,927

-65.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.36

35.53%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Springfield, MO: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Springfield, MO

$816 37% 5.4% $42

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Springfield, MO

$338 15.3% 15.8% $64

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Springfield, MO

$366 16.6% 59.4% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Springfield, MO

$407 18.4% 115% $218

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Springfield, MO

$139 6.3% 19.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Springfield, MO

$82 3.7% 6.9% $6.1

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Springfield, MO

$61 2.8% 25.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $991 in Springfield, MO. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 188% higher in Springfield, MO, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose versus $59.0 in Springfield, MO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $338 – making Springfield, MO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Springfield, MO

🕒 Local time

13:27 1:27 PM

14:27 2:27 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

116,482

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

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San Jose Springfield, MO 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Springfield, 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 Springfield, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Springfield, MO is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $3,313 in Springfield, MO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose and $59.0 in Springfield, MO. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,938 in San Jose and $2,208 in Springfield, MO. That's a gap of about 14%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Springfield, MO at $2,208. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Springfield, MO it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Springfield, MO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.