Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stillwater, OK and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,077 in Stillwater, OK, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Stillwater, OK outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Stillwater, OK
🇺🇸 United States
$2,077
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,924
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,077 per month in Stillwater, OK vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Stillwater, OK $2,077
  • San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,601 per month in Stillwater, OK vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Stillwater, OK $3,601
  • San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $5,126 per month in Stillwater, OK vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Stillwater, OK $5,126
  • San Jose $3,929

Stillwater, OK costs about 8% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Stillwater, OK and San Jose sit above the global median – Stillwater, OK by 53%, San Jose by 42%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Stillwater, OK
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.13 $15.13
$12.29 ₡5,513
23.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.50 $40.50
$62.3 ₡27.9K
-34.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.60 $9.60
$11.53 ₡5,171
-16.74%
Cappuccino
$5.07 $5.07
$4.35 ₡1,953
16.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 $2.21
$2.64 ₡1,183
-16.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.86 ₡836
-21.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.47 $4.47
$3.32 ₡1,490
34.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.42 $5.42
$4.52 ₡2,026
19.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Stillwater, OK
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$2.39 ₡1,073
-61.92%
White Bread (500g)
$2.71 $2.71
$3.08 ₡1,381
-12.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.45 $3.45
$2.50 ₡1,119
38.00%
Eggs
$4.37 $4.37
$3.48 ₡1,562
25.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.57 $7.57
$10.74 ₡4,815
-29.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.98 $8.98
$10.32 ₡4,629
-12.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.53 $13.53
$14.10 ₡6,325
-4.04%
Apples (1kg)
$4.55 $4.55
$5.03 ₡2,256
-9.54%
Banana (1kg)
$3.07 $3.07
$1.59 ₡714
93.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.74 $6.74
$4.84 ₡2,171
39.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.53 $5.53
$3.96 ₡1,776
39.65%
Potato (1kg)
$3.90 $3.90
$3.76 ₡1,684
3.72%
Onion (1kg)
$3.55 $3.55
$3.73 ₡1,674
-4.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.92 $1.92
$1.08 ₡485
77.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 $1.72
$3.25 ₡1,456
-47.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.24 $9.24
$5.86 ₡2,627
57.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.08 $11.08
$20.28 ₡9,095
-45.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 $1.77
$2.90 ₡1,300
-38.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.88 $4.88
$3.73 ₡1,673
30.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Stillwater, OK
San Jose
Difference
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
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.63 ₡732
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$8.71 ₡3,904
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 $0.83
$1.58 ₡709
-47.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K $27.6K
$33.6K ₡15.1M
-17.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K $26.1K
$41.7K ₡18.7M
-37.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stillwater, OK
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 $171
$93.7 ₡42.0K
82.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$43.24 $43.24
$35.42 ₡15.9K
22.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.0 $62.0
$60.0 ₡26.9K
3.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Stillwater, OK
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$25.83 ₡11.6K
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.18 $12.18
$7.74 ₡3,471
57.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Stillwater, OK
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,095 $1,095
$1,005 ₡450.9K
8.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$16.9K ₡7.6M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Stillwater, OK
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.3 $81.3
$73.1 ₡32.8K
11.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.79 $37.79
$55.4 ₡24.9K
-31.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 $101
$128 ₡57.5K
-21.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.2 $98.2
$130 ₡58.5K
-24.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Stillwater, OK
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,043 $1,043
$932 ₡418.0K
11.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,016 $1,016
$760 ₡340.8K
33.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,923 $2,923
$1,922 ₡862.0K
52.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,879 $2,879
$1,276 ₡572.1K
125.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,729 $1,729
$2,301 ₡1.0M
-24.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 $1,780
$1,833 ₡821.9K
-2.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Stillwater, OK
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,014 $3,014
$1,029 ₡461.3K
192.98%
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 Stillwater, OK: October 19, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Stillwater, OK
$1K
San Jose
$760 25.2% $256
Groceries & Markets
Stillwater, OK
$359
San Jose
$403 12.2% $44
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stillwater, OK
$276
San Jose
$189 31.6% $87
Eating Out
Stillwater, OK
$259
San Jose
$229 11.5% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Stillwater, OK
$143
San Jose
$174 21.8% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Stillwater, OK
$24 *
San Jose
$88 262% $64
Getting Around
Stillwater, OK
- *
San Jose
$80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,043 in Stillwater, OK 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 193% higher in Stillwater, OK, 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 $40.00 in Stillwater, OK versus $62.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $359 vs $403 – making Stillwater, OK the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Stillwater, OK
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
14:41 2:41 PM
13:41 1:41 PM
1 h behind Stillwater, OK
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
44,818
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Stillwater, OK San Jose 3,190 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Stillwater, OK
  • 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
Stillwater, OK vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Jose cheaper than Stillwater, OK?
Yes – Stillwater, OK is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,116 per month in Stillwater, OK and $2,886 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 Stillwater, OK and in San Jose?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,077 in Stillwater, OK and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 8%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,095 per month in Stillwater, OK and $1,005 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 Stillwater, OK or in San Jose?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Stillwater, OK at $2,077. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stillwater, OK it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Stillwater, OK 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, Stillwater, OK makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Stillwater, OK vs other spots: cost of living compared

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