Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Lewiston, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,803 in Lewiston, ME, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Lewiston, ME
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Lewiston, ME Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Lewiston, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,803

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Lewiston, ME

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 Lewiston, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,803 in Lewiston, ME, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Lewiston, ME $2,803

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $4,203 in Lewiston, ME, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Lewiston, ME $4,203

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $5,603 in Lewiston, ME, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Lewiston, ME $5,603

San Jose is about 25% cheaper than Lewiston, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both San Jose and Lewiston, ME sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Lewiston, ME by 107%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$16.54 $16.54

-25.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$92.4 $92.4

-32.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$14.94 $14.94

-21.62%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.63 $5.63

-19.36%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.88 $2.88

-4.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$2.72 $2.72

-31.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$4.99 $4.99

-32.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$8.22 $8.22

-47.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.03 $1.03

129.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.87 $3.87

-20.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$5.30 $5.30

-52.64%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.77 $4.77

-26.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$11.45 $11.45

-7.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$14.41 $14.41

-26.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$17.68 $17.68

-21.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$6.61 $6.61

-21.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.80 $1.80

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$6.63 $6.63

-26.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$5.42 $5.42

-29.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.84 $2.84

37.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$4.51 $4.51

-16.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.28 $2.28

-50.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$0.98 $0.98

228.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$9.18 $9.18

-34.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$14.01 $14.01

41.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.08 $2.08

35.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.93 $3.93

-7.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.90 $1.90

-43.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$54.3 $54.3

20.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.96 $3.96

-42.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$2.43 $2.43

-26.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$39.72 $39.72

-80.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.04 $1.04

44.23%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$27.1K $27.1K

23.41%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$26.9K $26.9K

57.20%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$319 $319

-70.75%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$105 $105

-65.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$84.8 $84.8

-28.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$45.71 $45.71

50.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$14.64 $14.64

-47.61%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,825 $1,825

-46.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$44.3K $44.3K

-57.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$15.97 $15.97

342.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$38.23 $38.23

48.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$81.5 $81.5

57.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$101 $101

29.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$999 $999

17.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,296 $1,296

-27.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,559 $2,559

-22.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,363 $2,363

-40.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$3,214 $3,214

-16.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,224 $2,224

-8.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.64

29.82%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lewiston, ME: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Lewiston, ME

$1.3K 46.3% 37.4% $353

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Lewiston, ME

$431 15.4% 7% $28

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Lewiston, ME

$309 11% 32.8% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Lewiston, ME

$508 18.1% 168% $318

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Lewiston, ME

$106 3.8% 38.9% $68

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Lewiston, ME

$75 2.7% 11% $9.3

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Lewiston, ME

$78 2.8% 3.3% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $999 in Lewiston, ME. 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 in San Jose versus $92 in Lewiston, ME. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $431 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Lewiston, ME

🕒 Local time

12:08 12:08 PM

13:08 1:08 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

36,226

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Lewiston, ME 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Lewiston, ME

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 Lewiston, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lewiston, ME is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $4,205 in Lewiston, ME. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lewiston, ME, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $999 there versus $1,170 in San Jose.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Lewiston, ME, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $92 in Lewiston, ME. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Lewiston, ME at $2,803. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lewiston, ME it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,803 in Lewiston, ME. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.