Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Fort Frances, Ontario

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,243 in Fort Frances, Ontario, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fort Frances, Ontario outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Fort Frances, Ontario
Learn more

Fort Frances, Ontario Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Fort Frances, Ontario

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,243

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Fort Frances, Ontario

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 Frances, Ontario actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,949 in San Jose versus $2,243 in Fort Frances, Ontario.

San Jose $1,949
Fort Frances, Ontario $2,243

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,903 in San Jose versus $3,183 in Fort Frances, Ontario.

San Jose $2,903
Fort Frances, Ontario $3,183

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,857 in San Jose versus $4,123 in Fort Frances, Ontario.

San Jose $3,857
Fort Frances, Ontario $4,123

Living in San Jose costs roughly 13% less than in Fort Frances, Ontario, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 45% above, Fort Frances, Ontario 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$17.52 CA$24.97

-30.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$64.0 CA$91.2

-5.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$10.70 CA$15.25

10.00%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$3.71 CA$5.29

15.90%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$2.03 CA$2.90

33.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.57 CA$2.24

17.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$5.32 CA$7.59

-38.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$5.66 CA$8.07

-22.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$2.04 CA$2.91

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$2.50 CA$3.57

24.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$3.24 CA$4.61

-25.62%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$3.50 CA$4.99

-0.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$9.80 CA$13.97

7.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$11.18 CA$15.93

-5.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$14.77 CA$21.05

-6.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$3.70 CA$5.28

36.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$1.34 CA$1.91

20.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$3.57 CA$5.09

28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$3.63 CA$5.17

5.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$2.52 CA$3.59

49.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$2.24 CA$3.20

67.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$2.52 CA$3.59

-55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$1.62 CA$2.31

97.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$13.84 CA$19.73

-57.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$12.49 CA$17.81

57.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$2.72 CA$3.87

1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$3.14 CA$4.47

16.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.24 CA$3.19

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

$61.6 CA$87.8

5.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$2.93 CA$4.18

-16.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$1.47 CA$2.09

4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$22.87 CA$32.60

-63.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.08 CA$1.54

43.52%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$27.9K CA$39.8K

-22.30%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$19.5K CA$27.8K

78.97%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$99.0 CA$141

-4.32%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$37.59 CA$53.6

-6.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$50.4 CA$71.8

16.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$41.00 CA$58.4

76.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

$18.23 CA$25.99

38.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$11.24 CA$16.01

-30.34%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$740 CA$1,055

31.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$13.1K CA$18.7K

29.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$53.1 CA$75.7

34.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$38.27 CA$54.6

43.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$84.1 CA$120

53.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$98.7 CA$141

34.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$1,259 CA$1,794

-25.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$1,108 CA$1,580

-30.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$1,926 CA$2,745

0.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$1,728 CA$2,463

-23.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$4,137 CA$5,897

-44.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$3,563 CA$5,079

-49.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$3,552 CA$5,063

-71.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.64

85.78%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Fort Frances, Ontario: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Fort Frances, Ontario

$1.1K 50.9% 43.9% $338

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Fort Frances, Ontario

$347 15.9% 12.9% $52

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Fort Frances, Ontario

$269 12.4% 18% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Fort Frances, Ontario

$187 8.6% 0.8% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Fort Frances, Ontario

$123 5.7% 29.4% $51

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Fort Frances, Ontario

$63 2.9% 27.7% $24

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Fort Frances, Ontario

$81 3.7% 1.3% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $934 in San Jose and $1,259 in Fort Frances, Ontario. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Frances, Ontario pays 253% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in San Jose vs $64.0 in Fort Frances, Ontario. Groceries flip the comparison at $399 vs $347, with Fort Frances, Ontario cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Fort Frances, Ontario

🕒 Local time

21:56 9:56 PM

22:56 10:56 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

7,700

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Fort Frances, Ontario 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Fort Frances, Ontario

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 Frances, Ontario: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 253% lower in Fort Frances, Ontario. 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: $934 in San Jose versus $1,259 in Fort Frances, Ontario. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $971 in San Jose versus $740 in Fort Frances, Ontario. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Fort Frances, Ontario pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,949 in San Jose versus $2,243 in Fort Frances, Ontario, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Fort Frances, Ontario. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Jose is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Fort Frances, Ontario, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Fort Frances, Ontario. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.