Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Southaven, MS and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,497 in Southaven, MS, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Southaven, MS outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Southaven, MS
🇺🇸 United States
$2,497
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,949
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Southaven, MS and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,497 per month in Southaven, MS vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Southaven, MS $2,497
  • San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,673 per month in Southaven, MS vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Southaven, MS $3,673
  • San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $4,849 per month in Southaven, MS vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Southaven, MS $4,849
  • San Jose $3,857

Southaven, MS costs about 28% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Southaven, MS and San Jose sit above the global median – Southaven, MS by 86%, San Jose by 45%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Southaven, MS
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 $17.66
$12.22 ₡5,510
44.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.3 $75.3
$60.1 ₡27.1K
25.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.81 $10.81
$11.77 ₡5,305
-8.16%
Cappuccino
$4.91 $4.91
$4.30 ₡1,939
14.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 $2.37
$2.72 ₡1,226
-12.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.84 ₡830
10.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.97 $5.97
$3.28 ₡1,480
82.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.70 $7.70
$4.36 ₡1,966
76.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Southaven, MS
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.82 $0.82
$2.38 ₡1,074
-65.55%
White Bread (500g)
$3.01 $3.01
$3.12 ₡1,408
-3.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.69 $2.69
$2.41 ₡1,086
11.62%
Eggs
$3.86 $3.86
$3.47 ₡1,564
11.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.42 $9.42
$10.57 ₡4,767
-10.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.59 $9.59
$10.56 ₡4,758
-9.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.26 $14.26
$13.75 ₡6,196
3.71%
Apples (1kg)
$3.87 $3.87
$5.04 ₡2,274
-23.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 $1.40
$1.61 ₡727
-13.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.36 $3.36
$4.59 ₡2,069
-26.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.10 $3.10
$3.84 ₡1,731
-19.27%
Potato (1kg)
$2.52 $2.52
$3.77 ₡1,700
-33.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 $2.18
$3.76 ₡1,693
-42.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.12 $2.12
$1.12 ₡506
89.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.86 $1.86
$3.20 ₡1,441
-41.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.55 $8.55
$5.84 ₡2,632
46.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.10 $13.10
$19.73 ₡8,897
-33.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 $1.69
$2.75 ₡1,240
-38.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 $1.58
$3.66 ₡1,650
-56.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Southaven, MS
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.70 $1.70
$1.12 ₡503
51.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$65.1 ₡29.4K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.03 $2.03
$2.46 ₡1,110
-17.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.36 $1.36
$1.54 ₡692
-11.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.20 $20.20
$8.46 ₡3,815
138.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.98 $0.98
$1.55 ₡699
-36.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.7K $34.7K
$21.7K ₡9.8M
60.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.3K $25.3K
$34.9K ₡15.7M
-27.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Southaven, MS
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 $171
$94.7 ₡42.7K
80.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$85.5 $85.5
$35.11 ₡15.8K
143.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.9 $75.9
$58.6 ₡26.4K
29.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Southaven, MS
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.96 $40.96
$72.2 ₡32.5K
-43.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$25.19 ₡11.4K
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.89 $11.89
$7.83 ₡3,532
51.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Southaven, MS
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,579 $1,579
$971 ₡437.9K
62.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,520 $8,520
$17.0K ₡7.7M
-49.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Southaven, MS
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.53 $46.53
$71.6 ₡32.3K
-34.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.63 $33.63
$54.9 ₡24.7K
-38.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.7 $80.7
$129 ₡58.2K
-37.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$154 $154
$133 ₡60.0K
16.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Southaven, MS
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,586 $1,586
$934 ₡420.9K
69.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,310 $1,310
$770 ₡347.2K
70.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,474 $2,474
$1,945 ₡876.7K
27.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,134 $2,134
$1,316 ₡593.5K
62.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,720 $2,720
$2,277 ₡1.0M
19.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,474 $2,474
$1,795 ₡809.1K
37.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Southaven, MS
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,006 ₡453.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
8.62
-23.43%

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

Last update for Southaven, MS: October 4, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Southaven, MS
$1.3K
San Jose
$770 41.2% $539
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Southaven, MS
$332
San Jose
$188 43.3% $144
Groceries & Markets
Southaven, MS
$321
San Jose
$399 24.4% $78
Eating Out
Southaven, MS
$295
San Jose
$228 22.8% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Southaven, MS
$142
San Jose
$175 23.2% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Southaven, MS
$65
San Jose
$88 35.7% $23
Getting Around
Southaven, MS
$16 *
San Jose
$80 410% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,586 in Southaven, MS versus $934 in San Jose. 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 $75.0 in Southaven, MS versus $60.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $321 in Southaven, MS vs $399 in San Jose – so Southaven, MS wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Southaven, MS
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
05:18 5:18 AM
04:18 4:18 AM
1 h behind Southaven, MS
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
41,295
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Southaven, MS San Jose 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Southaven, MS
  • San Jose

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
Southaven, MS vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Jose cheaper than Southaven, MS?
Yes – Southaven, MS is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,746 per month in Southaven, MS and $2,924 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Southaven, MS and in San Jose?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,497 in Southaven, MS and $1,949 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 28%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,579 per month in Southaven, MS and $971 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Southaven, MS or in San Jose?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Southaven, MS at $2,497. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Southaven, MS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Southaven, MS or San Jose more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Southaven, MS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Southaven, MS vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?