Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Starkville, MS and San Jose

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.

87

Cost of Living Index in Starkville, MS
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Starkville, MS Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Starkville, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,796

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.85 $14.85

$12.29 ₡5,513

20.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 $59.8

$62.3 ₡27.9K

-4.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 $8.46

$11.53 ₡5,171

-26.63%

Cappuccino

$4.27 $4.27

$4.35 ₡1,953

-1.84%

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

$2.38 $2.38

$2.64 ₡1,183

-9.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.86 ₡836

-0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.32 ₡1,490

19.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$4.52 ₡2,026

53.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$2.39 ₡1,073

-63.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 $3.19

$3.08 ₡1,381

3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.50 ₡1,119

7.20%

Eggs

$4.21 $4.21

$3.48 ₡1,562

20.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 $9.34

$10.74 ₡4,815

-13.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 $11.36

$10.32 ₡4,629

10.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.10 ₡6,325

6.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$5.03 ₡2,256

-24.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.59 ₡714

-12.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$4.84 ₡2,171

-28.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.96 ₡1,776

-25.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.76 ₡1,684

-42.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.73 ₡1,674

-41.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.08 ₡485

98.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$3.25 ₡1,456

-40.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.41 $8.41

$5.86 ₡2,627

43.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 $10.11

$20.28 ₡9,095

-50.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.90 ₡1,300

-43.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$3.73 ₡1,673

-11.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.41 $4.41

$2.50 ₡1,123

76.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.63 ₡732

14.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.98 $32.98

$8.71 ₡3,904

278.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.58 ₡709

-44.94%

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

$30.4K $30.4K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-9.61%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-38.30%

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

$169 $169

$93.7 ₡42.0K

80.75%

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

$30.57 $30.57

$35.42 ₡15.9K

-13.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 $52.3

$60.0 ₡26.9K

-12.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.28 $17.28

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-76.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$8.19 $8.19

$7.74 ₡3,471

5.81%

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

$1,534 $1,534

$1,005 ₡450.9K

52.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,370 $8,370

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-50.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 $72.7

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-0.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 $52.2

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-5.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 $86.9

$128 ₡57.5K

-32.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 $168

$130 ₡58.5K

29.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$942 $942

$932 ₡418.0K

1.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 $748

$760 ₡340.8K

-1.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$1,922 ₡862.0K

-17.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 $1,349

$1,276 ₡572.1K

5.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,125 $2,125

$2,301 ₡1.0M

-7.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,183 $2,183

$1,833 ₡821.9K

19.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,273 $4,273

$1,029 ₡461.3K

315.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

8.62

-22.85%

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

Last update for Starkville, MS: October 18, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Starkville, MS

$748 41.6%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 1.6% $12

Groceries & Markets

Starkville, MS

$332 18.5%

San Jose

$403 21% 21.6% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Starkville, MS

$252 14%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 25% $63

Eating Out

Starkville, MS

$246 13.7%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 7% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Starkville, MS

$171 9.5%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 1.8% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Starkville, MS

$34 1.9%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 162% $54

Getting Around

Starkville, MS

$14 * 0.8%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 484% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇺🇸 Starkville, MS

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

15:14 3:14 PM

1 h behind Starkville, MS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,638

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

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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Starkville, 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

Starkville, MS vs San Jose: 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 $2,695 per month in Starkville, MS and $2,886 in San Jose. 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 $1,796 in Starkville, MS and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 7%.

Kindergarten costs $1,534 per month in Starkville, MS and $1,005 in San Jose. 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.