Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Augusta, ME and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,357 in Augusta, ME, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Augusta, ME outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

113

Cost of Living Index in Augusta, ME
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Augusta, ME Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Augusta, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,357

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,357 in Augusta, ME versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Augusta, ME $2,357
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,286 in Augusta, ME versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Augusta, ME $3,286
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,215 in Augusta, ME versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Augusta, ME $4,215
San Jose $4,054

Living in Augusta, ME is roughly 12% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Augusta, ME 74% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.17 $20.17

$12.37 ₡5,563

63.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 $52.8

$62.4 ₡28.0K

-15.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.23 $10.23

$11.71 ₡5,264

-12.64%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$4.54 ₡2,040

19.16%

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

$2.28 $2.28

$2.75 ₡1,238

-17.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.86 ₡837

-12.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.35 ₡1,505

51.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 $7.36

$4.32 ₡1,944

70.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$2.36 ₡1,061

-53.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.60 $4.60

$3.07 ₡1,379

49.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.51 ₡1,128

-41.43%

Eggs

$3.87 $3.87

$3.53 ₡1,585

9.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.02 $15.02

$10.54 ₡4,738

42.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.03 $14.03

$10.57 ₡4,754

32.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.37 $19.37

$13.92 ₡6,261

39.15%

Apples (1kg)

$7.36 $7.36

$5.20 ₡2,338

41.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.65 ₡740

-23.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$4.89 ₡2,198

-34.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$3.84 ₡1,728

19.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$3.91 ₡1,757

-42.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.76 ₡1,692

-24.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.12 ₡504

83.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$3.22 ₡1,447

-45.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.72 $11.72

$6.02 ₡2,706

94.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.33 $13.33

$19.84 ₡8,919

-32.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.81 ₡1,264

-41.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$3.65 ₡1,643

-56.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.26 ₡1,018

13.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.78 ₡799

-29.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.47 $27.47

$7.90 ₡3,551

247.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.50 ₡673

-40.67%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-10.71%

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

$23.7K $23.7K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-43.85%

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

$236 $236

$93.2 ₡41.9K

152.90%

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

$45.37 $45.37

$36.13 ₡16.2K

25.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 $60.4

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-0.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.79 $22.79

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-66.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$13.77 $13.77

$7.67 ₡3,449

79.53%

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

$2,660 $2,660

$972 ₡436.9K

173.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$45.7K $45.7K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

142.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 $74.7

$70.6 ₡31.8K

5.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.97 $49.97

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-11.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$129 ₡57.8K

-13.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 $150

$131 ₡58.8K

14.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 $1,205

$1,170 ₡525.9K

3.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,059 $1,059

$943 ₡424.1K

12.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 $1,566

$1,984 ₡892.0K

-21.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 $1,460

$1,400 ₡629.5K

4.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 $2,418

$2,681 ₡1.2M

-9.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,387 $2,387

$2,037 ₡915.8K

17.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,002 $2,002

$987 ₡443.6K

102.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.3

8.62

-26.91%

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

Last update for Augusta, ME: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Augusta, ME

$1.1K 44.9%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 10.9% $116

Groceries & Markets

Augusta, ME

$412 17.5%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 2.2% $8.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Augusta, ME

$341 14.5%

San Jose

$190 9% 44.4% $151

Eating Out

Augusta, ME

$313 13.3%

San Jose

$232 11% 25.7% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Augusta, ME

$174 7.4%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Augusta, ME

$50 2.1%

San Jose

$84 4% 67.5% $34

Getting Around

Augusta, ME

$8.9 * 0.4%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 810% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,205 in Augusta, ME and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Augusta, ME pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $53 in Augusta, ME vs $62 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $412 vs $403, with San Jose cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Augusta, ME

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

01:11 1:11 AM

1 h behind Augusta, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

194,343

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Augusta, ME San Jose 4,060 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Augusta, ME
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

Augusta, ME vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,357 in Augusta, ME and $2,107 in San Jose, so San Jose is about 11% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Augusta, ME is about 2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,205 in Augusta, ME versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,660 in Augusta, ME versus $972 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $2,357 per month in Augusta, ME versus $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose is about 11% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Augusta, ME on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.