Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ellsworth, ME and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,720 in Ellsworth, ME, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Ellsworth, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,720

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,720 in Ellsworth, ME versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Ellsworth, ME $2,720
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,044 in Ellsworth, ME versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Ellsworth, ME $4,044
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,368 in Ellsworth, ME versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Ellsworth, ME $5,368
San Jose $4,054

Living in Ellsworth, ME is roughly 29% 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: Ellsworth, ME 101% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 $16.57

$12.37 ₡5,563

33.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 $121

$62.4 ₡28.0K

93.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.71 ₡5,264

26.81%

Cappuccino

$5.05 $5.05

$4.54 ₡2,040

11.23%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$2.75 ₡1,238

12.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.86 ₡837

32.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$3.35 ₡1,505

133.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.32 ₡1,944

80.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$2.36 ₡1,061

-53.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.07 ₡1,379

48.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.52 $8.52

$2.51 ₡1,128

239.44%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$3.53 ₡1,585

14.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.59 $15.59

$10.54 ₡4,738

47.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.60 $7.60

$10.57 ₡4,754

-28.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.12 $16.12

$13.92 ₡6,261

15.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.20 ₡2,338

-9.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.65 ₡740

4.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.85 $5.85

$4.89 ₡2,198

19.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$3.84 ₡1,728

73.18%

Potato (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$3.91 ₡1,757

60.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.76 ₡1,692

-1.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.12 ₡504

196.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.22 ₡1,447

-22.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.06 $12.06

$6.02 ₡2,706

100.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$19.84 ₡8,919

-24.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.81 ₡1,264

-33.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$3.65 ₡1,643

-28.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.08 ₡487

60.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.6 $60.6

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-7.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.26 ₡1,018

81.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.78 ₡799

24.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.57 $30.57

$7.90 ₡3,551

286.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.50 ₡673

-26.67%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-19.41%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-37.39%

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

$179 $179

$93.2 ₡41.9K

91.89%

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

$68.9 $68.9

$36.13 ₡16.2K

90.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.5 $77.5

$60.6 ₡27.2K

27.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.83 $38.83

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-43.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 $13.82

$7.67 ₡3,449

80.18%

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

$1,272 $1,272

$972 ₡436.9K

30.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K $27.6K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

46.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-24.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.8 $80.8

$56.7 ₡25.5K

42.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$129 ₡57.8K

-19.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$131 ₡58.8K

0.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 $1,602

$1,170 ₡525.9K

36.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 $1,320

$943 ₡424.1K

39.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,896 $2,896

$1,984 ₡892.0K

45.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 $2,070

$1,400 ₡629.5K

47.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,909 $2,909

$2,681 ₡1.2M

8.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,139 $2,139

$2,037 ₡915.8K

5.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-65.20%

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

Last update for Ellsworth, ME: October 31, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ellsworth, ME

$1.3K 48.5%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 28.5% $377

Groceries & Markets

Ellsworth, ME

$445 16.3%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 9.4% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ellsworth, ME

$325 12%

San Jose

$190 9% 41.6% $135

Eating Out

Ellsworth, ME

$315 11.6%

San Jose

$232 11% 26.1% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Ellsworth, ME

$166 6.1%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 4.6% $7.6

Getting Around

Ellsworth, ME

$83 3%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 2.4% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Ellsworth, ME

$66 2.4%

San Jose

$84 4% 26.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,602 in Ellsworth, ME and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $121 in Ellsworth, ME vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $445 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ellsworth, ME

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

14:37 2:37 PM

13:37 1:37 PM

1 h behind Ellsworth, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,500

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 = 0.895 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Ellsworth, ME San Jose 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ellsworth, 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

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

San Jose is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,080 in Ellsworth, ME and $3,161 in San Jose to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,602 in Ellsworth, ME versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,720 per month in Ellsworth, ME versus $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ellsworth, ME runs roughly 7% less than in San Jose. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,720 in Ellsworth, ME, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Ellsworth, ME. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.