Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Springfield, MO and San Jose

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.

107

Cost of Living Index in Springfield, MO
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Springfield, MO Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Springfield, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,208

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Springfield, MO costs about 14% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.40 $27.40

$12.38 ₡5,551

121.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.5 $59.5

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-2.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 $11.17

$11.45 ₡5,135

-2.45%

Cappuccino

$4.91 $4.91

$4.39 ₡1,967

11.85%

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

$2.30 $2.30

$2.70 ₡1,211

-14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.93 ₡864

13.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.20 ₡1,433

42.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 $6.59

$4.41 ₡1,979

49.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.44 ₡1,093

-53.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.05 ₡1,369

8.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.41 ₡1,081

-9.13%

Eggs

$3.76 $3.76

$3.40 ₡1,523

10.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 $11.09

$10.75 ₡4,823

3.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 $8.59

$10.43 ₡4,679

-17.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$13.99 ₡6,273

9.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$5.25 ₡2,353

-14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.59 ₡712

-32.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$4.69 ₡2,103

-36.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$3.95 ₡1,770

9.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$3.92 ₡1,760

-57.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.68 ₡1,651

-35.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.12 ₡503

56.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.19 ₡1,429

-37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.97 $8.97

$6.00 ₡2,692

49.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.24 $13.24

$19.56 ₡8,771

-32.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.82 ₡1,263

-36.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.59 ₡1,611

20.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.12 ₡503

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.66 $45.66

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-31.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.50 ₡1,119

20.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.63 ₡733

-10.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.10 $36.10

$8.50 ₡3,812

324.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.56 ₡701

-38.46%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

55.34%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-25.40%

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

$275 $275

$95.2 ₡42.7K

188.89%

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

$59.7 $59.7

$35.58 ₡16.0K

67.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.3 $72.3

$58.6 ₡26.3K

23.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 $57.8

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-20.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.98 $34.98

$24.85 ₡11.1K

40.76%

Cinema Ticket

$12.02 $12.02

$7.58 ₡3,401

58.58%

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

$760 $760

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-24.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 $72.3

$70.5 ₡31.6K

2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.70 $36.70

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-34.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 $77.3

$130 ₡58.2K

-40.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$131 ₡58.7K

-5.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$991 $991

$927 ₡415.8K

6.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 $816

$774 ₡347.2K

5.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,717 $1,717

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-12.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 $1,366

$1,288 ₡577.6K

6.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,772 $1,772

$2,274 ₡1.0M

-22.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,811 $1,811

$1,831 ₡821.0K

-1.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,927 $2,927

$1,016 ₡455.8K

187.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

8.62

-26.22%

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

Last update for Springfield, MO: October 13, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Springfield, MO

$816 37%

San Jose

$774 40% 5.1% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Springfield, MO

$407 18.4%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 53.5% $218

Eating Out

Springfield, MO

$366 16.6%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 37.3% $136

Groceries & Markets

Springfield, MO

$338 15.3%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 18.8% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Springfield, MO

$139 6.3%

San Jose

$174 9% 24.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Springfield, MO

$82 3.7%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 7.4% $6.1

Getting Around

Springfield, MO

$61 2.8%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 34.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $991 in Springfield, MO versus $927 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.

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

Good to know

🇺🇸 Springfield, MO

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

11:42 11:42 AM

10:42 10:42 AM

1 h behind Springfield, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,482

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Springfield, MO
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

Springfield, MO vs San Jose: 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 $3,313 per month in Springfield, MO and $2,907 in San Jose. 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 $59.0 in Springfield, MO and $61.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,208 in Springfield, MO and $1,938 in San Jose. 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.