Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Farmington Hills, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,536 in Farmington Hills, MI, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Farmington Hills, MI outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Farmington Hills, MI
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Farmington Hills, MI Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Farmington Hills, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Hills, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,536 in Farmington Hills, MI.

San Jose $2,107
Farmington Hills, MI $2,536

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $3,800 in Farmington Hills, MI.

San Jose $3,081
Farmington Hills, MI $3,800

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $5,063 in Farmington Hills, MI.

San Jose $4,054
Farmington Hills, MI $5,063

Living in San Jose costs roughly 17% less than in Farmington Hills, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Farmington Hills, MI 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,546

$16.65 $16.65

-25.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$58.9 $58.9

5.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,248

$10.62 $10.62

10.26%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,034

$4.98 $4.98

-8.84%

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

$2.75 ₡1,234

$2.15 $2.15

27.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡835

$1.97 $1.97

-5.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,501

$4.93 $4.93

-32.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,938

$6.08 $6.08

-28.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,057

$0.77 $0.77

206.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,375

$2.13 $2.13

44.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,124

$4.66 $4.66

-46.14%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,580

$2.72 $2.72

29.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,724

$10.65 $10.65

-1.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,740

$11.67 $11.67

-9.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,242

$18.77 $18.77

-25.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,331

$3.44 $3.44

51.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡738

$1.06 $1.06

55.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,191

$6.71 $6.71

-27.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,722

$3.56 $3.56

7.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,752

$5.84 $5.84

-33.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,687

$4.48 $4.48

-16.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.13 $2.13

-47.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,443

$1.48 $1.48

117.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,698

$9.16 $9.16

-34.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,892

$13.10 $13.10

51.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,261

$2.30 $2.30

22.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,638

$2.45 $2.45

48.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.92 $2.92

-63.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.2K

$64.9 $64.9

0.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,015

$5.14 $5.14

-56.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡797

$1.51 $1.51

17.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,540

$47.41 $47.41

-83.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡671

$1.03 $1.03

45.63%

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

$33.5K ₡15.0M

$30.8K $30.8K

8.51%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$24.9K $24.9K

70.05%

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

$93.2 ₡41.8K

$178 $178

-47.74%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$57.1 $57.1

-36.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$53.1 $53.1

14.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡30.9K

$76.2 $76.2

-9.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$35.07 $35.07

-28.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,439

$11.89 $11.89

-35.49%

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

$972 ₡435.6K

$1,646 $1,646

-40.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$10.1K $10.1K

85.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.7K

$61.8 $61.8

14.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.4K

$50.3 $50.3

12.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.7K

$45.49 $45.49

182.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$118 $118

11.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡524.3K

$1,530 $1,530

-23.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡422.8K

$1,287 $1,287

-26.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡889.3K

$2,672 $2,672

-25.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡627.6K

$2,317 $2,317

-39.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,908 $2,908

-7.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡913.0K

$1,666 $1,666

22.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡442.3K

$5,414 $5,414

-81.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.35

35.75%

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 Hills, MI: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Farmington Hills, MI

$1.3K 50.8% 36.5% $344

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Farmington Hills, MI

$369 14.5% 8.4% $34

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Farmington Hills, MI

$278 11% 19.7% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Farmington Hills, MI

$289 11.4% 51.9% $99

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Farmington Hills, MI

$124 4.9% 28.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Farmington Hills, MI

$100 3.9% 18.7% $16

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Farmington Hills, MI

$89 3.5% 10.6% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,530 in Farmington Hills, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Farmington Hills, MI pays about 5.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $59 in Farmington Hills, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $369 per month, with Farmington Hills, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Farmington Hills, MI

🕒 Local time

19:14 7:14 PM

20:14 8:14 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

80,937

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 2 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 7, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 501 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Farmington Hills, MI 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Farmington Hills, MI

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 Hills, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Farmington Hills, MI. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 82% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,530 in Farmington Hills, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $972 in San Jose versus $1,646 in Farmington Hills, MI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Farmington Hills, MI – a meal for two runs $59 versus $62 in San Jose. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,536 in Farmington Hills, MI, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Farmington Hills, MI. 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.

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