Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fayetteville, AR and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,352 in Fayetteville, AR, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fayetteville, AR outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

113

Cost of Living Index in Fayetteville, AR
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Fayetteville, AR Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Fayetteville, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,352

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,352 per month in Fayetteville, AR vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Fayetteville, AR $2,352
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $3,522 per month in Fayetteville, AR vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Fayetteville, AR $3,522
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $4,693 per month in Fayetteville, AR vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Fayetteville, AR $4,693
San Jose $3,934

Fayetteville, AR costs about 21% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Fayetteville, AR and San Jose sit above the global median – Fayetteville, AR by 74%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.60 $16.60

$12.38 ₡5,551

34.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 $77.6

$60.9 ₡27.3K

27.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 $9.69

$11.45 ₡5,135

-15.37%

Cappuccino

$5.40 $5.40

$4.39 ₡1,967

23.01%

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

$2.22 $2.22

$2.70 ₡1,211

-17.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.93 ₡864

-16.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$3.20 ₡1,433

92.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$4.41 ₡1,979

57.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$2.44 ₡1,093

-63.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.05 ₡1,369

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.41 ₡1,081

48.96%

Eggs

$5.46 $5.46

$3.40 ₡1,523

60.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.17 $8.17

$10.75 ₡4,823

-24.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 $8.77

$10.43 ₡4,679

-15.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.23 $13.23

$13.99 ₡6,273

-5.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.25 ₡2,353

-13.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.59 ₡712

-3.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.69 ₡2,103

-40.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.95 ₡1,770

3.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$3.92 ₡1,760

-51.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.68 ₡1,651

-32.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.12 ₡503

34.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.19 ₡1,429

-38.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.59 $8.59

$6.00 ₡2,692

43.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 $14.23

$19.56 ₡8,771

-27.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.82 ₡1,263

-32.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.59 ₡1,611

-9.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.50 ₡1,119

9.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.63 ₡733

-25.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.37 $30.37

$8.50 ₡3,812

257.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.56 ₡701

-42.31%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

57.57%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-28.31%

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

$175 $175

$95.2 ₡42.7K

83.69%

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

$56.4 $56.4

$35.58 ₡16.0K

58.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.4 $61.4

$58.6 ₡26.3K

4.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.3 $72.3

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-0.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 $9.85

$7.58 ₡3,401

29.95%

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

$1,090 $1,090

$1,001 ₡449.0K

8.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

38.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 $53.2

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-24.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.93 $41.93

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-24.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$130 ₡58.2K

-19.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$131 ₡58.7K

7.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 $1,447

$927 ₡415.8K

56.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 $1,181

$774 ₡347.2K

52.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,852 $2,852

$1,967 ₡882.0K

45.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 $2,062

$1,288 ₡577.6K

60.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,636 $2,636

$2,274 ₡1.0M

15.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,231 $2,231

$1,831 ₡821.0K

21.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,494 $3,494

$1,016 ₡455.8K

243.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

8.62

-25.17%

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

Last update for Fayetteville, AR: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fayetteville, AR

$1.2K 50.2%

San Jose

$774 40% 34.4% $406

Groceries & Markets

Fayetteville, AR

$338 14.4%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 18.6% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fayetteville, AR

$293 12.4%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 35.3% $103

Eating Out

Fayetteville, AR

$287 12.2%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 20% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Fayetteville, AR

$153 6.5%

San Jose

$174 9% 13.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Fayetteville, AR

$92 3.9%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 4.5% $4.2

Getting Around

Fayetteville, AR

$8.9 * 0.4%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 826% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,447 in Fayetteville, AR versus $927 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 244% higher in Fayetteville, AR, 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 $78.0 in Fayetteville, AR versus $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $338 in Fayetteville, AR vs $401 in San Jose – so Fayetteville, AR wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fayetteville, AR

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

11:58 11:58 AM

10:58 10:58 AM

1 h behind Fayetteville, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

93,949

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fayetteville, AR San Jose 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Fayetteville, AR
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

Fayetteville, AR vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,352 in Fayetteville, AR, $1,938 in San Jose – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,528 per month in Fayetteville, AR and $2,907 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 $78.0 in Fayetteville, AR and $61.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Fayetteville, AR – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Fayetteville, AR at $2,352. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fayetteville, AR it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,938 in San Jose to $2,352 in Fayetteville, AR. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Fayetteville, AR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.