Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fargo, ND and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,026 in Fargo, ND, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Fargo, ND despite lower rent and utilities.

97

Cost of Living Index in Fargo, ND
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Fargo, ND Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Fargo, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,026

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,026 per month in Fargo, ND vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Fargo, ND $2,026
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,226 per month in Fargo, ND vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Fargo, ND $3,226
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,426 per month in Fargo, ND vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Fargo, ND $4,426
San Jose $3,929

Fargo, ND costs about 5% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Fargo, ND and San Jose sit above the global median – Fargo, ND by 49%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 $17.26

$12.29 ₡5,513

40.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 $60.7

$62.3 ₡27.9K

-2.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 $11.73

$11.53 ₡5,171

1.73%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$4.35 ₡1,953

18.39%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$2.64 ₡1,183

-2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.86 ₡836

9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 $5.34

$3.32 ₡1,490

60.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 $9.13

$4.52 ₡2,026

101.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.39 ₡1,073

-46.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.08 ₡1,381

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$2.50 ₡1,119

200.80%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$3.48 ₡1,562

16.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.80 $14.80

$10.74 ₡4,815

37.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.50 $15.50

$10.32 ₡4,629

50.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 $21.19

$14.10 ₡6,325

50.28%

Apples (1kg)

$10.51 $10.51

$5.03 ₡2,256

108.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.59 ₡714

48.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.59 $6.59

$4.84 ₡2,171

36.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$3.96 ₡1,776

37.37%

Potato (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$3.76 ₡1,684

29.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$3.73 ₡1,674

2.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.08 ₡485

86.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.25 ₡1,456

-19.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.77 $8.77

$5.86 ₡2,627

49.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.54 $18.54

$20.28 ₡9,095

-8.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.90 ₡1,300

-12.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 $5.44

$3.73 ₡1,673

45.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.08 ₡486

36.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.33 $41.33

$65.5 ₡29.4K

-36.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.50 ₡1,123

80.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.58 ₡709

-37.97%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-19.75%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-37.91%

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

$136 $136

$93.7 ₡42.0K

44.98%

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

$58.2 $58.2

$35.42 ₡15.9K

64.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 $57.3

$60.0 ₡26.9K

-4.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 $57.1

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-21.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 $13.79

$7.74 ₡3,471

78.17%

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

$1,244 $1,244

$1,005 ₡450.9K

23.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 $51.0

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-30.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.99 $45.99

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-17.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 $84.7

$128 ₡57.5K

-33.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$130 ₡58.5K

-20.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 $954

$932 ₡418.0K

2.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 $689

$760 ₡340.8K

-9.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,252 $2,252

$1,922 ₡862.0K

17.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 $1,452

$1,276 ₡572.1K

13.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,898 $1,898

$2,301 ₡1.0M

-17.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,673 $1,673

$1,833 ₡821.9K

-8.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,824 $3,824

$1,029 ₡461.3K

271.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

8.62

-25.41%

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

Last update for Fargo, ND: October 20, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fargo, ND

$689 34%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 10.3% $71

Groceries & Markets

Fargo, ND

$522 25.8%

San Jose

$403 21% 22.8% $119

Eating Out

Fargo, ND

$299 14.7%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 23.3% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fargo, ND

$251 12.4%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 24.8% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Fargo, ND

$128 6.3%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 35.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Fargo, ND

$85 4.2%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 4% $3.4

Getting Around

Fargo, ND

$52 * 2.6%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 55.6% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $954 in Fargo, ND versus $932 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 run about 272% higher in Fargo, ND, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Fargo, ND versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $522 in Fargo, ND vs $403 in San Jose – so San Jose wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fargo, ND

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

03:43 3:43 AM

02:43 2:43 AM

1 h behind Fargo, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,056

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fargo, ND San Jose 4,280 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Fargo, ND
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

Fargo, ND vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fargo, ND costs about 5% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,038 per month in Fargo, ND and $2,886 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Fargo, ND and $62.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,026 in Fargo, ND and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 5%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Fargo, ND at $2,026. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fargo, ND it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,924 versus $2,026 in Fargo, ND. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fargo, ND makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.