Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Farmington, CT

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.

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

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Farmington, CT

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 Farmington, CT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in San Jose costs roughly 29% less than in Farmington, CT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Farmington, CT 119% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Jose
Farmington, CT
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.37 ₡5,563
$20.56 $20.56
-39.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.4 ₡28.0K
$98.9 $98.9
-36.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.71 ₡5,264
$12.07 $12.07
-2.98%
Cappuccino
$4.54 ₡2,040
$4.15 $4.15
9.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 ₡1,238
$2.86 $2.86
-3.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 ₡837
$1.47 $1.47
26.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.35 ₡1,505
$6.97 $6.97
-51.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.32 ₡1,944
$7.33 $7.33
-41.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Jose
Farmington, CT
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.36 ₡1,061
$1.48 $1.48
59.46%
White Bread (500g)
$3.07 ₡1,379
$4.33 $4.33
-29.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,128
$4.28 $4.28
-41.36%
Eggs
$3.53 ₡1,585
$5.21 $5.21
-32.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.54 ₡4,738
$16.61 $16.61
-36.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.57 ₡4,754
$13.33 $13.33
-20.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.92 ₡6,261
$16.63 $16.63
-16.30%
Apples (1kg)
$5.20 ₡2,338
$4.47 $4.47
16.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 ₡740
$2.12 $2.12
-22.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.89 ₡2,198
$2.99 $2.99
63.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.84 ₡1,728
$4.41 $4.41
-12.93%
Potato (1kg)
$3.91 ₡1,757
$1.63 $1.63
139.88%
Onion (1kg)
$3.76 ₡1,692
$2.65 $2.65
41.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ₡504
$1.11 $1.11
0.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.22 ₡1,447
$2.49 $2.49
29.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.02 ₡2,706
$13.85 $13.85
-56.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.84 ₡8,919
$15.06 $15.06
31.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.81 ₡1,264
$2.28 $2.28
23.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.65 ₡1,643
$3.68 $3.68
-0.82%
🚌 Getting Around
San Jose
Farmington, CT
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.08 ₡487
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.2 ₡29.3K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.26 ₡1,018
$4.89 $4.89
-53.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.78 ₡799
$2.17 $2.17
-17.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.90 ₡3,551
$48.43 $48.43
-83.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 ₡673
$1.09 $1.09
37.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.5K ₡15.1M
$27.9K $27.9K
19.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.3K ₡19.0M
$26.8K $26.8K
57.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose
Farmington, CT
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.2 ₡41.9K
$193 $193
-51.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.13 ₡16.2K
$53.9 $53.9
-33.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.6 ₡27.2K
$53.3 $53.3
13.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Jose
Farmington, CT
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.9 ₡31.0K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.94 ₡11.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.67 ₡3,449
$15.22 $15.22
-49.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Jose
Farmington, CT
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$972 ₡436.9K
$822 $822
18.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.9K ₡8.5M
$35.4K $35.4K
-46.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Jose
Farmington, CT
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.6 ₡31.8K
$50.5 $50.5
39.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.7 ₡25.5K
$37.42 $37.42
51.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$129 ₡57.8K
$76.0 $76.0
69.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 ₡58.8K
$79.8 $79.8
63.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Jose
Farmington, CT
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 ₡525.9K
$1,972 $1,972
-40.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$943 ₡424.1K
$1,769 $1,769
-46.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,984 ₡892.0K
$3,037 $3,037
-34.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,400 ₡629.5K
$2,544 $2,544
-44.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,681 ₡1.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,037 ₡915.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Jose
Farmington, CT
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$987 ₡443.6K
$4,170 $4,170
-76.34%
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 Farmington, CT: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Jose
$943
Farmington, CT
$1.8K 87.5% $825
Groceries & Markets
San Jose
$403
Farmington, CT
$425 5.5% $22
Eating Out
San Jose
$232
Farmington, CT
$317 36.5% $85
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose
$190
Farmington, CT
$300 57.9% $110
Clothing & Footwear
San Jose
$174
Farmington, CT
$110 37% $64
Sport & Entertainment
San Jose
$84
Farmington, CT
$30 * 63.9% $54
Getting Around
San Jose
$81
Farmington, CT
$16 * 80.5% $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 $1,170 in San Jose and $1,972 in Farmington, CT. 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: $62 in San Jose vs $99 in Farmington, CT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $425 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇷 San Jose
🇺🇸 Farmington, CT
🕒 Local time
16:28 4:28 PM
17:28 5:28 PM
1 h ahead of San Jose
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
342,188 Capital
18,207
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Jose Farmington, CT 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • San Jose
  • Farmington, CT

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 Farmington, CT: 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: San Jose or Farmington, CT?
On paper, salaries run 76% lower in San Jose. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between San Jose and Farmington, CT?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,972 in Farmington, CT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in San Jose and in Farmington, CT?
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 San Jose and in Farmington, CT?
All in, you’ll spend $2,107 per month in San Jose versus $2,967 in Farmington, CT – San Jose is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in San Jose or in Farmington, CT?
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 San Jose or in Farmington, CT?
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.

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