Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Fort Atkinson, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,292 in Fort Atkinson, WI, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fort Atkinson, WI outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Fort Atkinson, WI
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Fort Atkinson, WI Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Fort Atkinson, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,292

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Fort Atkinson, WI

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 Fort Atkinson, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $2,292 in Fort Atkinson, WI, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Fort Atkinson, WI $2,292

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $3,361 in Fort Atkinson, WI, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Fort Atkinson, WI $3,361

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $4,430 in Fort Atkinson, WI, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Fort Atkinson, WI $4,430

San Jose is about 16% cheaper than Fort Atkinson, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both San Jose and Fort Atkinson, WI sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Fort Atkinson, WI by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$13.85 $13.85

-11.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$75.8 $75.8

-17.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$12.21 $12.21

-5.57%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$5.27 $5.27

-17.46%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.91 $2.91

-9.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$2.35 $2.35

-20.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$5.94 $5.94

-44.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$8.28 $8.28

-45.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$0.82 $0.82

191.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$2.15 $2.15

43.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.86 $2.86

-12.59%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$3.49 $3.49

-0.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$7.84 $7.84

36.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$10.91 $10.91

-5.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$10.56 $10.56

33.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$5.74 $5.74

-12.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.72 $1.72

-7.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$3.45 $3.45

40.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$4.82 $4.82

-17.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$2.75 $2.75

36.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$3.21 $3.21

16.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$1.99 $1.99

-45.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$1.97 $1.97

64.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$12.14 $12.14

-51.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$8.14 $8.14

149.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.68 $1.68

72.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$3.27 $3.27

14.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$1.92 $1.92

-43.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$3.17 $3.17

-21.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.78 $1.78

-8.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$31.11 $31.11

-72.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$1.01 $1.01

56.44%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$34.7K $34.7K

-3.09%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$25.8K $25.8K

61.54%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$173 $173

-45.83%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$49.97 $49.97

-29.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$50.5 $50.5

18.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$36.40 $36.40

99.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$8.16 $8.16

-5.15%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,177 $1,177

-14.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$24.3K $24.3K

-30.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$19.69 $19.69

271.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$14.80 $14.80

274.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$44.96 $44.96

185.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$64.4 $64.4

102.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$1,588 $1,588

-41.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$1,284 $1,284

-40.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$2,522 $2,522

-23.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$2,145 $2,145

-40.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$2,512 $2,512

-8.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$2,233 $2,233

-17.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.43

34.06%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Fort Atkinson, WI: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Fort Atkinson, WI

$1.3K 56% 69% $524

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Fort Atkinson, WI

$319 13.9% 20.8% $84

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Fort Atkinson, WI

$278 12.1% 21.5% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Fort Atkinson, WI

$273 11.9% 44.6% $84

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Fort Atkinson, WI

$65 2.8% 62.9% $110

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Fort Atkinson, WI

$53 2.3% 40.1% $35

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Fort Atkinson, WI

$20 * 0.9% 75.4% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $1,588 in Fort Atkinson, WI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in San Jose versus $76.0 in Fort Atkinson, WI. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $319 in Fort Atkinson, WI – so Fort Atkinson, WI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Fort Atkinson, WI

🕒 Local time

01:35 1:35 AM

02:35 2:35 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

12,500

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Fort Atkinson, WI 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Fort Atkinson, WI

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 Fort Atkinson, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Atkinson, WI costs about 19% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $3,438 in Fort Atkinson, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,924 in San Jose and $2,292 in Fort Atkinson, WI. That's a gap of about 19%.

Kindergarten costs $1,005 per month in San Jose and $1,177 in Fort Atkinson, WI. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Fort Atkinson, WI at $2,292. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort Atkinson, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,924 versus $2,292 in Fort Atkinson, WI. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fort Atkinson, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.