Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Fallston, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,659 in Fallston, MD, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Fallston, MD
Learn more

Fallston, MD Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Fallston, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,659

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Fallston, MD

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 Fallston, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,659 in Fallston, MD.

San Jose $2,107
Fallston, MD $2,659

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $3,937 in Fallston, MD.

San Jose $3,081
Fallston, MD $3,937

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $5,216 in Fallston, MD.

San Jose $4,054
Fallston, MD $5,216

Living in San Jose costs roughly 21% less than in Fallston, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Fallston, MD 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$20.23 $20.23

-38.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$74.7 $74.7

-16.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$11.94 $11.94

-1.93%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.27 $5.27

-13.85%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.50 $2.50

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.90 $1.90

-2.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$6.43 $6.43

-47.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$7.74 $7.74

-44.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.08 $1.08

118.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.67 $3.67

-16.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$4.40 $4.40

-42.95%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.10 $4.10

-13.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$14.18 $14.18

-25.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$11.73 $11.73

-9.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$17.14 $17.14

-18.79%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$5.14 $5.14

1.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.58 $1.58

4.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.42 $4.42

10.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$4.58 $4.58

-16.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.86 $2.86

36.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.90 $2.90

29.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.18 $2.18

-48.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.27 $2.27

41.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$9.30 $9.30

-35.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$15.26 $15.26

30.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.99 $1.99

41.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.88 $3.88

-5.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.04 $2.04

-47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$66.6 $66.6

-2.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.65 $3.65

-38.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.52 $1.52

17.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$31.39 $31.39

-74.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.07 $1.07

40.19%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$24.1K $24.1K

39.09%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.9K $26.9K

57.47%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$177 $177

-47.27%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$55.2 $55.2

-34.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$60.7 $60.7

-0.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$43.93 $43.93

56.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$12.44 $12.44

-38.34%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,476 $1,476

-34.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$20.7K $20.7K

-8.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$48.55 $48.55

45.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$37.25 $37.25

52.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$102 $102

26.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$108 $108

21.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,522 $1,522

-23.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,344 $1,344

-29.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,192 $2,192

-9.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,291 $2,291

-38.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$3,184 $3,184

-15.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,323 $2,323

-12.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.59

30.80%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Fallston, MD: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Fallston, MD

$1.3K 50.5% 42.5% $401

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Fallston, MD

$408 15.4% 1.4% $5.8

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Fallston, MD

$326 12.3% 40.4% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Fallston, MD

$293 11% 54.1% $103

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Fallston, MD

$133 5% 23.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Fallston, MD

$69 2.6% 18.3% $15

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Fallston, MD

$86 3.2% 6.6% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,522 in Fallston, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $75 in Fallston, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $408 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Fallston, MD

🕒 Local time

01:36 1:36 AM

02:36 2:36 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

9,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Fallston, MD 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Fallston, MD

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 Fallston, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,161 in San Jose and $3,988 in Fallston, MD to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,522 in Fallston, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62 versus $75 in Fallston, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $972 in San Jose versus $1,476 in Fallston, MD. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,659 in Fallston, MD, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Fallston, MD. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.