Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Falmouth and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Falmouth: $1,000 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Falmouth
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,000
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,938
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,000 per month in Falmouth vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Falmouth $1,000
  • San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $1,655 per month in Falmouth vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Falmouth $1,655
  • San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $2,310 per month in Falmouth vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Falmouth $2,310
  • San Jose $3,934

Falmouth is about 48% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Falmouth sits 26% below the global median, while San Jose is 44% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Falmouth
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.26 JMD 2,095
$12.38 ₡5,551
7.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.7 JMD 12.0K
$60.9 ₡27.3K
24.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.99 JMD 1,262
$11.45 ₡5,135
-30.22%
Cappuccino
$5.22 JMD 825
$4.39 ₡1,967
18.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.19 JMD 188
$2.70 ₡1,211
-55.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 JMD 116
$1.93 ₡864
-61.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.14 JMD 339
$3.20 ₡1,433
-33.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 JMD 504
$4.41 ₡1,979
-27.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Falmouth
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$4.06 JMD 642
$2.44 ₡1,093
66.39%
White Bread (500g)
$3.67 JMD 580
$3.05 ₡1,369
20.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.64 JMD 259
$2.41 ₡1,081
-31.95%
Eggs
$3.61 JMD 570
$3.40 ₡1,523
6.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.44 JMD 1,808
$10.75 ₡4,823
6.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.22 JMD 983
$10.43 ₡4,679
-40.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.10 JMD 1,595
$13.99 ₡6,273
-27.81%
Apples (1kg)
$6.07 JMD 958
$5.25 ₡2,353
15.62%
Banana (1kg)
$3.98 JMD 629
$1.59 ₡712
150.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.24 JMD 1,144
$4.69 ₡2,103
54.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.97 JMD 470
$3.95 ₡1,770
-24.81%
Potato (1kg)
$3.22 JMD 508
$3.92 ₡1,760
-17.86%
Onion (1kg)
$2.68 JMD 424
$3.68 ₡1,651
-27.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.14 JMD 496
$1.12 ₡503
180.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 JMD 228
$3.19 ₡1,429
-54.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.21 JMD 1,456
$6.00 ₡2,692
53.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.51 JMD 1,819
$19.56 ₡8,771
-41.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.81 JMD 444
$2.82 ₡1,263
-0.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02 JMD 635
$3.59 ₡1,611
11.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Falmouth
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.12 ₡503
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$66.8 ₡30.0K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.17 JMD 185
$2.50 ₡1,119
-53.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.09 JMD 488
$1.63 ₡733
89.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.39 JMD 1,009
$8.50 ₡3,812
-24.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.41 JMD 222
$1.56 ₡701
-9.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.1K JMD 6.8M
$22.4K ₡10.0M
92.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K JMD 5.2M
$35.6K ₡16.0M
-7.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Falmouth
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$169 JMD 26.7K
$95.2 ₡42.7K
77.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.47 JMD 4,656
$35.58 ₡16.0K
-17.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.5 JMD 8,453
$58.6 ₡26.3K
-8.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Falmouth
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$72.7 ₡32.6K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.85 ₡11.1K
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.43 JMD 2,121
$7.58 ₡3,401
77.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Falmouth
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$361 JMD 57.0K
$1,001 ₡449.0K
-63.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,337 JMD 1.3M
$17.1K ₡7.7M
-51.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Falmouth
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.24 JMD 3,671
$70.5 ₡31.6K
-67.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.99 JMD 4,896
$55.8 ₡25.0K
-44.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.5 JMD 12.1K
$130 ₡58.2K
-41.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 JMD 16.0K
$131 ₡58.7K
-22.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Falmouth
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$927 ₡415.8K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$774 ₡347.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,967 ₡882.0K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,288 ₡577.6K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,274 ₡1.0M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,831 ₡821.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Falmouth
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,016 ₡455.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.45
8.62
9.63%

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

Last update for Falmouth: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Falmouth
$382
San Jose
$401 4.9% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Falmouth
$252
San Jose
$189 24.9% $63
Eating Out
Falmouth
$218
San Jose
$229 5.4% $12
Clothing & Footwear
Falmouth
$104
San Jose
$174 66.8% $70
Sport & Entertainment
Falmouth
$27 *
San Jose
$88 227% $61
Getting Around
Falmouth
$17 *
San Jose
$82 393% $65
Accommodation & Living
Falmouth
- *
San Jose
$774

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Falmouth versus $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $382 in Falmouth vs $401 in San Jose – so Falmouth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇯🇲 Falmouth
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
02:22 2:22 AM
01:22 1:22 AM
1 h behind Falmouth
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
7,779
342,188 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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
  • Falmouth San Jose 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Falmouth
  • 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
Falmouth vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Falmouth or San Jose?
San Jose costs about 94% more than Falmouth, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Falmouth and in San Jose?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,499 per month in Falmouth and $2,907 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do dining costs compare in Falmouth and in San Jose?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Falmouth and $61.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Falmouth or in San Jose?
Groceries cost about 5% more in San Jose, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Falmouth or in San Jose?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Falmouth, where all-in costs run around $1,000, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Falmouth it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Falmouth or San Jose?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Falmouth costs $1,000 versus $1,938 in San Jose. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Falmouth or to San Jose?
If budget matters most, go with Falmouth. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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