Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and West Plains, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,444 in West Plains, MO, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in West Plains, MO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in West Plains, MO
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West Plains, MO Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

West Plains, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,444

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $2,444 in West Plains, MO, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
West Plains, MO $2,444

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $3,577 in West Plains, MO, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
West Plains, MO $3,577

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $4,710 in West Plains, MO, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
West Plains, MO $4,710

San Jose is about 21% cheaper than West Plains, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and West Plains, MO sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, West Plains, MO by 80%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$16.86 $16.86

-27.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$75.9 $75.9

-17.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$10.91 $10.91

5.68%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$5.14 $5.14

-15.37%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.97 $2.97

-11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$2.34 $2.34

-20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$5.44 $5.44

-38.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$6.52 $6.52

-30.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$1.09 $1.09

119.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$2.73 $2.73

12.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.69 $2.69

-7.06%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$3.51 $3.51

-0.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$10.12 $10.12

6.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$12.08 $12.08

-14.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$22.83 $22.83

-38.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$4.88 $4.88

3.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.41 $1.41

12.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$4.47 $4.47

8.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$3.74 $3.74

5.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$2.74 $2.74

37.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.50 $2.50

49.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$1.98 $1.98

-45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$1.90 $1.90

71.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$9.38 $9.38

-37.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$13.62 $13.62

48.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.74 $1.74

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$1.73 $1.73

115.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$2.16 $2.16

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$2.54 $2.54

-1.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.48 $1.48

10.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$24.44 $24.44

-64.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$0.92 $0.92

71.74%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$27.7K $27.7K

21.28%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$26.4K $26.4K

58.12%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$218 $218

-57.01%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$60.1 $60.1

-41.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$68.7 $68.7

-12.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$45.73 $45.73

58.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$13.09 $13.09

-40.87%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,049 $1,049

-4.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$19.1K $19.1K

-11.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$51.1 $51.1

43.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$39.46 $39.46

40.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$83.5 $83.5

53.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$148 $148

-12.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$1,592 $1,592

-41.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$1,196 $1,196

-36.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$2,814 $2,814

-31.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$1,961 $1,961

-34.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$2,467 $2,467

-6.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$2,124 $2,124

-13.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.75

27.70%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for West Plains, MO: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

West Plains, MO

$1.2K 48.9% 57.4% $436

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

West Plains, MO

$375 15.3% 7% $28

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

West Plains, MO

$291 11.9% 27.1% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

West Plains, MO

$347 14.2% 83.3% $157

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

West Plains, MO

$145 5.9% 16.7% $29

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

West Plains, MO

$72 2.9% 18.3% $16

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

West Plains, MO

$19 * 0.8% 76.9% $62

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 $1,592 in West Plains, MO. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in San Jose versus $76.0 in West Plains, MO. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $375 in West Plains, MO – so West Plains, MO wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 West Plains, MO

🕒 Local time

09:29 9:29 AM

10:29 10:29 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

12,184

💱 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 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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose West Plains, MO 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – West Plains, MO is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $3,667 in West Plains, 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,924 in San Jose and $2,444 in West Plains, MO. That's a gap of about 27%.

Kindergarten costs $1,005 per month in San Jose and $1,049 in West Plains, MO. 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 San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in West Plains, MO at $2,444. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in West Plains, 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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