Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Starkville, MS

For one person, living is cheaper in Starkville, MS: $1,796 a month against $1,924 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in San Jose despite lower rent and utilities.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Starkville, MS
Learn more

Starkville, MS Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Starkville, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,796

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Starkville, MS

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 Starkville, MS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $1,796 in Starkville, MS, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Starkville, MS $1,796

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $2,733 in Starkville, MS, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Starkville, MS $2,733

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $3,669 in Starkville, MS, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Starkville, MS $3,669

San Jose costs about 7% more than Starkville, MS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Starkville, MS sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Starkville, MS by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$14.85 $14.85

-17.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$59.8 $59.8

4.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$8.46 $8.46

36.29%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$4.27 $4.27

1.87%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.38 $2.38

10.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$1.85 $1.85

0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$3.97 $3.97

-16.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$6.94 $6.94

-34.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$0.88 $0.88

171.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$3.19 $3.19

-3.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.68 $2.68

-6.72%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$4.21 $4.21

-17.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$9.34 $9.34

14.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$11.36 $11.36

-9.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$15.05 $15.05

-6.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$3.81 $3.81

32.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.39 $1.39

14.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$3.45 $3.45

40.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$2.95 $2.95

34.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$2.18 $2.18

72.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.19 $2.19

70.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.14 $2.14

-49.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$1.92 $1.92

69.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$8.41 $8.41

-30.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$10.11 $10.11

100.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.63 $1.63

77.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$3.30 $3.30

13.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$4.41 $4.41

-43.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.87 $1.87

-12.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$32.98 $32.98

-73.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$0.87 $0.87

81.61%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$30.4K $30.4K

10.63%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$25.7K $25.7K

62.09%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$169 $169

-44.67%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$30.57 $30.57

15.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$52.3 $52.3

14.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$17.28 $17.28

320.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$8.19 $8.19

-5.49%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,534 $1,534

-34.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$8,370 $8,370

102.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$72.7 $72.7

0.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$52.2 $52.2

6.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$86.9 $86.9

47.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$168 $168

-22.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$942 $942

-1.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$748 $748

1.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$1,584 $1,584

21.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$1,349 $1,349

-5.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$2,125 $2,125

8.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$2,183 $2,183

-16.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$4,273 $4,273

-75.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.65

29.62%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Starkville, MS: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Starkville, MS

$748 41.6% 1.6% $12

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Starkville, MS

$332 18.5% 17.8% $72

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Starkville, MS

$246 13.7% 7.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Starkville, MS

$252 14% 33.4% $63

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Starkville, MS

$171 9.5% 1.8% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Starkville, MS

$34 1.9% 61.8% $54

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Starkville, MS

$14 * 0.8% 82.9% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $942 in Starkville, MS. 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 315% higher in Starkville, MS, 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 $62.0 in San Jose versus $60.0 in Starkville, MS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $332 – making Starkville, MS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Starkville, MS

🕒 Local time

15:14 3:14 PM

16:14 4:14 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

22,638

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Starkville, MS 2,660 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Starkville, MS

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 Starkville, MS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $2,695 in Starkville, MS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,924 in San Jose and $1,796 in Starkville, MS. That's a gap of about 7%.

Kindergarten costs $1,005 per month in San Jose and $1,534 in Starkville, MS. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Starkville, MS, where all-in costs run around $1,796, than in San Jose at $1,924. In Starkville, MS it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Starkville, MS – 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 Starkville, MS. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.