Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairfield, CA and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $3,974 in Fairfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $24,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

191

Cost of Living Index in Fairfield, CA
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Fairfield, CA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,974

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,974 in Fairfield, CA versus $1,924 in San Jose.

Fairfield, CA $3,974
San Jose $1,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,257 in Fairfield, CA versus $2,926 in San Jose.

Fairfield, CA $5,257
San Jose $2,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,539 in Fairfield, CA versus $3,929 in San Jose.

Fairfield, CA $6,539
San Jose $3,929

Living in Fairfield, CA is roughly 107% 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: Fairfield, CA 193% above, San Jose 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.67 $21.67

$12.29 ₡5,513

76.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.7 $91.7

$62.3 ₡27.9K

47.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 $11.84

$11.53 ₡5,171

2.69%

Cappuccino

$6.40 $6.40

$4.35 ₡1,953

47.13%

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

$3.29 $3.29

$2.64 ₡1,183

24.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.86 ₡836

8.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 $7.93

$3.32 ₡1,490

138.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 $7.04

$4.52 ₡2,026

55.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$2.39 ₡1,073

-43.51%

White Bread (500g)

$4.49 $4.49

$3.08 ₡1,381

45.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.50 ₡1,119

79.60%

Eggs

$5.51 $5.51

$3.48 ₡1,562

58.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.48 $14.48

$10.74 ₡4,815

34.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.82 $14.82

$10.32 ₡4,629

43.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.57 $17.57

$14.10 ₡6,325

24.61%

Apples (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$5.03 ₡2,256

21.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.59 ₡714

55.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.15 $6.15

$4.84 ₡2,171

27.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$3.96 ₡1,776

70.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.76 ₡1,684

5.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.73 ₡1,674

-5.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.08 ₡485

114.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.25 ₡1,456

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.69 $11.69

$5.86 ₡2,627

99.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.88 $9.88

$20.28 ₡9,095

-51.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.90 ₡1,300

-24.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.73 ₡1,673

-42.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.08 ₡486

83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.7 $87.7

$65.5 ₡29.4K

33.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.50 ₡1,123

17.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.63 ₡732

20.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.77 $28.77

$8.71 ₡3,904

230.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.58 ₡709

-13.29%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-17.63%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-36.22%

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

$197 $197

$93.7 ₡42.0K

109.86%

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

$48.72 $48.72

$35.42 ₡15.9K

37.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.5 $73.5

$60.0 ₡26.9K

22.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$126 $126

$72.6 ₡32.6K

73.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.4 $74.4

$25.83 ₡11.6K

188.00%

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 $14.71

$7.74 ₡3,471

90.05%

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

$1,265 $1,265

$1,005 ₡450.9K

25.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K $22.2K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

31.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 $50.7

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-30.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.68 $36.68

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-33.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$128 ₡57.5K

-15.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$130 ₡58.5K

-15.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,408 $2,408

$932 ₡418.0K

158.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,434 $2,434

$760 ₡340.8K

220.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,061 $3,061

$1,922 ₡862.0K

59.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,001 $3,001

$1,276 ₡572.1K

135.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 $3,716

$2,301 ₡1.0M

61.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,747 $3,747

$1,833 ₡821.9K

104.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$1,029 ₡461.3K

375.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

8.62

-25.06%

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

Last update for Fairfield, CA: 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

Fairfield, CA

$2.4K 61.2%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 68.8% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Fairfield, CA

$459 11.6%

San Jose

$403 21% 12.2% $56

Eating Out

Fairfield, CA

$361 9.1%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 36.6% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairfield, CA

$319 8%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 40.7% $130

Sport & Entertainment

Fairfield, CA

$156 3.9%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 43.4% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Fairfield, CA

$137 3.5%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 26.8% $37

Getting Around

Fairfield, CA

$108 2.7%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 25.7% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,408 in Fairfield, CA and $932 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fairfield, CA pays 376% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $92.0 in Fairfield, CA vs $62.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CA

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

01:44 1:44 AM

02:44 2:44 AM

1 h ahead of Fairfield, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,133

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Fairfield, CA San Jose 4,920 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Fairfield, CA
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

Fairfield, CA vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 107% lower than in Fairfield, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 376% higher in Fairfield, CA, 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: $2,408 in Fairfield, CA versus $932 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,974 per month in Fairfield, CA versus $1,924 in San Jose – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Jose runs roughly 34% less than in Fairfield, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,924 in San Jose versus $3,974 in Fairfield, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Fairfield, CA. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,924 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Fairfield, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.