Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fenton, MI and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,330 in Fenton, MI, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fenton, MI outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

112

Cost of Living Index in Fenton, MI
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Fenton, MI Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Fenton, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,330

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,330 in Fenton, MI versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Fenton, MI $2,330
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,435 in Fenton, MI versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Fenton, MI $3,435
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,539 in Fenton, MI versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Fenton, MI $4,539
San Jose $4,054

Living in Fenton, MI is roughly 11% 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: Fenton, MI 72% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 $19.82

$12.37 ₡5,563

60.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$62.4 ₡28.0K

21.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 $10.12

$11.71 ₡5,264

-13.58%

Cappuccino

$4.60 $4.60

$4.54 ₡2,040

1.32%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$2.75 ₡1,238

2.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.86 ₡837

-10.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.35 ₡1,505

75.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 $6.36

$4.32 ₡1,944

47.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$2.36 ₡1,061

-65.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.07 ₡1,379

-28.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.51 ₡1,128

10.76%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$3.53 ₡1,585

15.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.49 $6.49

$10.54 ₡4,738

-38.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$10.57 ₡4,754

-59.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 $11.14

$13.92 ₡6,261

-19.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$5.20 ₡2,338

-58.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.65 ₡740

-18.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$4.89 ₡2,198

-55.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.84 ₡1,728

-47.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$3.91 ₡1,757

-71.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 $0.72

$3.76 ₡1,692

-80.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.12 ₡504

-35.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.22 ₡1,447

-52.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.48 $10.48

$6.02 ₡2,706

74.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 $10.15

$19.84 ₡8,919

-48.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.81 ₡1,264

-29.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$3.65 ₡1,643

-29.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.08 ₡487

104.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 $67.4

$65.2 ₡29.3K

3.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.26 ₡1,018

105.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.78 ₡799

8.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.76 $31.76

$7.90 ₡3,551

302.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.50 ₡673

-28.67%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-20.48%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-37.46%

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

$131 $131

$93.2 ₡41.9K

40.93%

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

$39.42 $39.42

$36.13 ₡16.2K

9.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 $58.9

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-2.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.08 $40.08

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-41.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$13.66 $13.66

$7.67 ₡3,449

78.10%

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

$892 $892

$972 ₡436.9K

-8.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K $14.5K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-23.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.25 $40.25

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-43.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.0 $77.0

$56.7 ₡25.5K

35.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 $97.7

$129 ₡57.8K

-24.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$131 ₡58.8K

-9.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$1,170 ₡525.9K

35.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 $1,257

$943 ₡424.1K

33.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 $1,697

$1,984 ₡892.0K

-14.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 $2,096

$1,400 ₡629.5K

49.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,858 $2,858

$2,681 ₡1.2M

6.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,608 $2,608

$2,037 ₡915.8K

28.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,926 $4,926

$987 ₡443.6K

399.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

8.62

-24.59%

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

Last update for Fenton, MI: 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

Fenton, MI

$1.3K 54%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 25% $314

Eating Out

Fenton, MI

$304 13.1%

San Jose

$232 11% 23.6% $72

Groceries & Markets

Fenton, MI

$231 9.9%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 74.4% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fenton, MI

$230 9.9%

San Jose

$190 9% 17.3% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Fenton, MI

$150 6.5%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 15.9% $24

Getting Around

Fenton, MI

$91 3.9%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 10.9% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Fenton, MI

$67 2.9%

San Jose

$84 4% 25% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,584 in Fenton, MI and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fenton, MI pays about 5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $76 in Fenton, MI vs $62 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $231 vs $403, with Fenton, MI cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fenton, MI

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

04:31 4:31 AM

03:31 3:31 AM

1 h behind Fenton, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,000

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

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Fenton, MI San Jose 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Fenton, MI
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

Fenton, MI vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Fenton, MI is about 5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,584 in Fenton, MI versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Jose runs roughly 3% less than in Fenton, MI. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $892 in Fenton, MI versus $972 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Fenton, MI on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.