Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairmont, WV and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Fairmont, WV: $1,839 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Fairmont, WV
Learn more

Fairmont, WV Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Fairmont, WV

🇺🇸 United States

$1,839

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Fairmont, WV vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Fairmont, WV $1,839
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $2,695 per month in Fairmont, WV vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Fairmont, WV $2,695
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $3,551 per month in Fairmont, WV vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Fairmont, WV $3,551
San Jose $4,054

Fairmont, WV is about 13% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Fairmont, WV and San Jose sit above the global median – Fairmont, WV by 36%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.20 $15.20

$12.37 ₡5,563

22.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 $67.7

$62.4 ₡28.0K

8.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 $9.72

$11.71 ₡5,264

-16.99%

Cappuccino

$3.59 $3.59

$4.54 ₡2,040

-20.93%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$2.75 ₡1,238

-7.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.86 ₡837

4.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.35 ₡1,505

46.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.15 $8.15

$4.32 ₡1,944

88.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.36 ₡1,061

-60.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.07 ₡1,379

14.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.51 ₡1,128

-58.17%

Eggs

$1.80 $1.80

$3.53 ₡1,585

-49.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$10.54 ₡4,738

-46.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$10.57 ₡4,754

-37.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 $10.99

$13.92 ₡6,261

-21.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$5.20 ₡2,338

-14.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.65 ₡740

-19.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$4.89 ₡2,198

-55.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.84 ₡1,728

-41.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.91 ₡1,757

-49.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.76 ₡1,692

-3.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.12 ₡504

-11.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 $1.17

$3.22 ₡1,447

-63.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.80 $6.80

$6.02 ₡2,706

12.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 $15.18

$19.84 ₡8,919

-23.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.81 ₡1,264

-39.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.65 ₡1,643

-1.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.08 ₡487

59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 $52.9

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-18.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.26 ₡1,018

40.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.78 ₡799

7.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.37 $27.37

$7.90 ₡3,551

246.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.50 ₡673

-40.00%

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

$19.9K $19.9K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-40.52%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-39.76%

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

$156 $156

$93.2 ₡41.9K

67.90%

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

$41.10 $41.10

$36.13 ₡16.2K

13.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.3 $67.3

$60.6 ₡27.2K

10.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.92 $39.92

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-42.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.59 $7.59

$7.67 ₡3,449

-1.04%

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

$1,042 $1,042

$972 ₡436.9K

7.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K $13.1K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-30.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.05 $25.05

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-64.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.98 $27.98

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-50.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 $88.3

$129 ₡57.8K

-31.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$131 ₡58.8K

1.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 $975

$1,170 ₡525.9K

-16.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$804 $804

$943 ₡424.1K

-14.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 $1,506

$1,984 ₡892.0K

-24.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 $1,259

$1,400 ₡629.5K

-10.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,306 $1,306

$2,681 ₡1.2M

-51.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,310 $1,310

$2,037 ₡915.8K

-35.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,410 $4,410

$987 ₡443.6K

346.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-42.00%

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

Last update for Fairmont, WV: 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

Fairmont, WV

$804 43.7%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 17.4% $140

Groceries & Markets

Fairmont, WV

$267 14.5%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 51% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairmont, WV

$265 14.4%

San Jose

$190 9% 28.3% $75

Eating Out

Fairmont, WV

$253 13.7%

San Jose

$232 11% 8% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Fairmont, WV

$123 6.7%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 41.2% $51

Getting Around

Fairmont, WV

$73 3.9%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 11.3% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Fairmont, WV

$55 3%

San Jose

$84 4% 52.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $975 in Fairmont, WV versus $1,170 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 in Fairmont, WV are about 4.5 times higher, 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 $68 in Fairmont, WV versus $62 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Fairmont, WV vs $403 in San Jose – so Fairmont, WV wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairmont, WV

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

10:46 10:46 AM

09:46 9:46 AM

1 h behind Fairmont, WV

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,145

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 = 0.89 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fairmont, WV San Jose 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Fairmont, WV
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

Fairmont, WV vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Fairmont, WV and $3,161 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fairmont, WV, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $975 there versus $1,170 in San Jose.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Fairmont, WV. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,042 per month in Fairmont, WV and $972 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,839 in Fairmont, WV and $2,107 in San Jose, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Fairmont, WV to $2,107 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.