Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Fairmont, WV

For one person, living is cheaper in Fairmont, WV: $1,839 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Fairmont, WV
Learn more

Fairmont, WV Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Fairmont, WV

🇺🇸 United States

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Fairmont, WV

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Jose and in Fairmont, WV actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $1,839 in Fairmont, WV, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Fairmont, WV $1,839

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $2,695 in Fairmont, WV, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Fairmont, WV $2,695

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $3,551 in Fairmont, WV, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Fairmont, WV $3,551

San Jose costs about 15% more than Fairmont, WV, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Fairmont, WV sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Fairmont, WV by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$15.20 $15.20

-18.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$67.7 $67.7

-7.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$9.72 $9.72

20.47%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$3.59 $3.59

26.46%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.55 $2.55

7.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.95 $1.95

-4.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$4.90 $4.90

-31.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$8.15 $8.15

-46.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$0.94 $0.94

151.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.53 $3.53

-13.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$1.05 $1.05

139.05%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$1.80 $1.80

96.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$5.63 $5.63

87.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$6.65 $6.65

58.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$10.99 $10.99

26.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$4.46 $4.46

16.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.33 $1.33

24.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$2.19 $2.19

123.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$2.24 $2.24

71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$1.98 $1.98

97.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$3.61 $3.61

4.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.99 $0.99

13.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.17 $1.17

175.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$6.80 $6.80

-11.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$15.18 $15.18

30.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.71 $1.71

64.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.58 $3.58

1.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.72 $1.72

-37.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$52.9 $52.9

23.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.18 $3.18

-28.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.92 $1.92

-7.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$27.37 $27.37

-71.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.90 $0.90

66.67%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$19.9K $19.9K

68.12%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$25.5K $25.5K

66.02%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$156 $156

-40.44%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$41.10 $41.10

-12.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$67.3 $67.3

-9.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$39.92 $39.92

72.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$7.59 $7.59

1.05%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,042 $1,042

-6.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$13.1K $13.1K

44.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$25.05 $25.05

181.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$27.98 $27.98

102.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$88.3 $88.3

45.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$133 $133

-1.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$975 $975

19.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$804 $804

17.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$1,506 $1,506

31.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,259 $1,259

11.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$1,306 $1,306

105.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$1,310 $1,310

55.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$4,410 $4,410

-77.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

72.40%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Fairmont, WV: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Fairmont, WV

$804 43.7% 14.8% $140

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Fairmont, WV

$267 14.5% 33.8% $136

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Fairmont, WV

$253 13.7% 8.7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Fairmont, WV

$265 14.4% 39.4% $75

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Fairmont, WV

$123 6.7% 29.2% $51

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Fairmont, WV

$55 3% 34.6% $29

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Fairmont, WV

$73 3.9% 10.1% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $975 in Fairmont, WV. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Fairmont, WV are about 4.5 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $68 in Fairmont, WV. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $267 in Fairmont, WV – so Fairmont, WV wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Fairmont, WV

🕒 Local time

13:34 1:34 PM

14:34 2:34 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

19,145

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Fairmont, WV 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Fairmont, WV

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

San Jose vs Fairmont, WV: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $2,758 in Fairmont, WV. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fairmont, WV, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $975 there versus $1,170 in San Jose.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Fairmont, WV. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $972 per month in San Jose and $1,042 in Fairmont, WV. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,107 in San Jose and $1,839 in Fairmont, WV, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Fairmont, WV to $2,107 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.