Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Fort Collins, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,815 in Fort Collins, CO, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
135

Cost of Living Index in Fort Collins, CO
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Fort Collins, CO Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Fort Collins, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Fort Collins, CO

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 Collins, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,815 in Fort Collins, CO.

San Jose $2,107
Fort Collins, CO $2,815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $3,967 in Fort Collins, CO.

San Jose $3,081
Fort Collins, CO $3,967

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $5,119 in Fort Collins, CO.

San Jose $4,054
Fort Collins, CO $5,119

Living in San Jose costs roughly 25% less than in Fort Collins, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Fort Collins, CO 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$22.17 $22.17

-44.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$80.8 $80.8

-22.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$11.16 $11.16

4.93%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$6.28 $6.28

-27.71%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.43 $2.43

13.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.08 $2.08

-10.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$7.05 $7.05

-52.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$6.91 $6.91

-37.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.04 $1.04

126.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.88 $2.88

6.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$2.79 $2.79

-10.04%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.28 $4.28

-17.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$10.91 $10.91

-3.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$9.09 $9.09

16.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$19.04 $19.04

-26.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$4.96 $4.96

4.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.58 $1.58

4.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.64 $4.64

5.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$5.29 $5.29

-27.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$3.44 $3.44

13.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$4.72 $4.72

-20.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.26 $2.26

-50.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.71 $1.71

88.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$10.38 $10.38

-42.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$16.63 $16.63

19.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.48 $2.48

13.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.61 $2.61

39.85%

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

$2.52 $2.52

-10.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.85 $1.85

-3.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$24.65 $24.65

-67.95%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

18.61%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$25.7K $25.7K

64.65%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$211 $211

-55.78%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$56.0 $56.0

-35.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$70.4 $70.4

-13.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$50.3 $50.3

36.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$30.35 $30.35

-17.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$12.12 $12.12

-36.72%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,294 $1,294

-24.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$11.5K $11.5K

63.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$59.3 $59.3

19.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$68.1 $68.1

-16.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$81.6 $81.6

57.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$116 $116

12.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,876 $1,876

-37.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,510 $1,510

-37.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,852 $2,852

-30.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,194 $2,194

-36.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$4,047 $4,047

-33.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,856 $2,856

-28.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$4,357 $4,357

-77.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.77

27.33%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Fort Collins, CO: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Fort Collins, CO

$1.5K 53.6% 60.1% $567

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Fort Collins, CO

$382 13.6% 5.1% $21

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Fort Collins, CO

$353 12.6% 52% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Fort Collins, CO

$337 12% 77.5% $147

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Fort Collins, CO

$146 5.2% 15.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Fort Collins, CO

$75 2.7% 11.5% $9.7

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Fort Collins, CO

$12 * 0.4% 85.4% $69

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 $1,876 in Fort Collins, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Collins, CO pays about 4.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $81 in Fort Collins, CO. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $382, with Fort Collins, CO cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Fort Collins, CO

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

14:50 2:50 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

148,612

💱 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 Fort Collins, CO 3,990 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Fort Collins, CO

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 Collins, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Fort Collins, CO. 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 77% 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 $1,876 in Fort Collins, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Fort Collins, CO pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,107 per month in San Jose versus $2,815 in Fort Collins, CO – San Jose is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,815 in Fort Collins, CO, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Fort Collins, CO. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value at $2,107 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

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