Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Farmington, CT and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,967 in Farmington, CT, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Farmington, CT outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Farmington, CT, United States
San Jose, Costa Rica
Farmington, CT
🇺🇸 United States
$2,967
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,107
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,967 in Farmington, CT versus $2,107 in San Jose.

  • Farmington, CT $2,967
  • San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,156 in Farmington, CT versus $3,081 in San Jose.

  • Farmington, CT $4,156
  • San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,345 in Farmington, CT versus $4,054 in San Jose.

  • Farmington, CT $5,345
  • San Jose $4,054

Living in Farmington, CT is roughly 41% 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: Farmington, CT 119% above, San Jose 56% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Farmington, CT
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.56 $20.56
$12.37 ₡5,563
66.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.9 $98.9
$62.4 ₡28.0K
58.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.07 $12.07
$11.71 ₡5,264
3.07%
Cappuccino
$4.15 $4.15
$4.54 ₡2,040
-8.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 $2.86
$2.75 ₡1,238
4.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 $1.47
$1.86 ₡837
-20.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.97 $6.97
$3.35 ₡1,505
108.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.33 $7.33
$4.32 ₡1,944
69.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Farmington, CT
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.48 $1.48
$2.36 ₡1,061
-37.29%
White Bread (500g)
$4.33 $4.33
$3.07 ₡1,379
41.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.28 $4.28
$2.51 ₡1,128
70.52%
Eggs
$5.21 $5.21
$3.53 ₡1,585
47.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.61 $16.61
$10.54 ₡4,738
57.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.33 $13.33
$10.57 ₡4,754
26.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.63 $16.63
$13.92 ₡6,261
19.47%
Apples (1kg)
$4.47 $4.47
$5.20 ₡2,338
-14.04%
Banana (1kg)
$2.12 $2.12
$1.65 ₡740
28.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.99 $2.99
$4.89 ₡2,198
-38.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.41 $4.41
$3.84 ₡1,728
14.84%
Potato (1kg)
$1.63 $1.63
$3.91 ₡1,757
-58.31%
Onion (1kg)
$2.65 $2.65
$3.76 ₡1,692
-29.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.12 ₡504
-0.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.49 $2.49
$3.22 ₡1,447
-22.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.85 $13.85
$6.02 ₡2,706
130.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.06 $15.06
$19.84 ₡8,919
-24.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.28 $2.28
$2.81 ₡1,264
-18.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 $3.68
$3.65 ₡1,643
0.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Farmington, CT
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.08 ₡487
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$65.2 ₡29.3K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.89 $4.89
$2.26 ₡1,018
116.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.17 $2.17
$1.78 ₡799
21.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$48.43 $48.43
$7.90 ₡3,551
513.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.09 $1.09
$1.50 ₡673
-27.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K $27.9K
$33.5K ₡15.1M
-16.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$42.3K ₡19.0M
-36.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Farmington, CT
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$193 $193
$93.2 ₡41.9K
106.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$53.9 $53.9
$36.13 ₡16.2K
49.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.3 $53.3
$60.6 ₡27.2K
-12.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Farmington, CT
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$68.9 ₡31.0K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.94 ₡11.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.22 $15.22
$7.67 ₡3,449
98.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Farmington, CT
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$822 $822
$972 ₡436.9K
-15.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.4K $35.4K
$18.9K ₡8.5M
87.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Farmington, CT
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.5 $50.5
$70.6 ₡31.8K
-28.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.42 $37.42
$56.7 ₡25.5K
-33.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.0 $76.0
$129 ₡57.8K
-40.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.8 $79.8
$131 ₡58.8K
-38.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Farmington, CT
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,972 $1,972
$1,170 ₡525.9K
68.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,769 $1,769
$943 ₡424.1K
87.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,037 $3,037
$1,984 ₡892.0K
53.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,544 $2,544
$1,400 ₡629.5K
81.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,681 ₡1.2M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,037 ₡915.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Farmington, CT
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,170 $4,170
$987 ₡443.6K
322.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.59
8.62
-23.55%

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

Last update for Farmington, CT: 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
Farmington, CT
$1.8K
San Jose
$943 46.7% $825
Groceries & Markets
Farmington, CT
$425
San Jose
$403 5.2% $22
Eating Out
Farmington, CT
$317
San Jose
$232 26.7% $85
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Farmington, CT
$300
San Jose
$190 36.7% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Farmington, CT
$110
San Jose
$174 58.7% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Farmington, CT
$30 *
San Jose
$84 177% $54
Getting Around
Farmington, CT
$16 *
San Jose
$81 412% $65

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,972 in Farmington, CT and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Farmington, CT pays about 4.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Farmington, CT vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $425 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Farmington, CT
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
17:13 5:13 PM
16:13 4:13 PM
1 h behind Farmington, CT
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
18,207
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Farmington, CT San Jose 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Farmington, CT
  • 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
Farmington, CT vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Jose cheaper than Farmington, CT?
San Jose is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Farmington, CT or San Jose?
Average pay in Farmington, CT is about 4.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Farmington, CT and San Jose?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,972 in Farmington, CT versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Farmington, CT and in San Jose?
Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Farmington, CT. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Farmington, CT and in San Jose?
All in, you’ll spend $2,967 per month in Farmington, CT versus $2,107 in San Jose – San Jose is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Farmington, CT or in San Jose?
At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,967 in Farmington, CT, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Farmington, CT. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Farmington, CT or in San Jose?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Farmington, CT on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Farmington, CT vs other spots: cost of living compared

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