Cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica

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Food [Edit]
Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district ₡ 4,489
Combo meal in fast food restaurant (Big Mac Meal or similar) ₡ 3,857
500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast ₡ 2,373
1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk ₡ 820
12 eggs, large ₡ 1,758
1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes ₡ 1,320
500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese ₡ 3,644
1 kg (2 lb.) of apples ₡ 2,664
1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes ₡ 1,028
0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket ₡ 911
1 bottle of red table wine, good quality ₡ 7,614
2 liters of Coca-Cola ₡ 1,443
Bread for 2 people for 1 day ₡ 720
Housing [Edit]
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in EXPENSIVE area ₡ 746,201
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in NORMAL area ₡ 244,609
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat ₡ 65,737
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 Sqft) furnished studio in EXPENSIVE area ₡ 654,422
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 Sqft) furnished studio in NORMAL area ₡ 342,587
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 Sqft) studio ₡ 56,610
Internet 8 Mbps (1 month) ₡ 21,618
40” flat screen TV ₡ 288,323
Microwave 800/900 Watt (Bosch, Panasonic, LG, Sharp, or equivalent brands) ₡ 50,097
Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) ₡ 3,472
Hourly rate for cleaning help ₡ 1,724
Clothes [Edit]
1 pair of jeans (Levis 501 or similar) ₡ 35,124
1 summer dress in a High Street Store (Zara, H&M or similar retailers) ₡ 29,683
1 pair of sport shoes (Nike, Adidas, or equivalent brands) ₡ 62,578
1 pair of men’s leather business shoes ₡ 56,848
Transportation [Edit]
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI 150 CV (or equivalent), with no extras, new ₡ 11,181,900
1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas ₡ 636
Monthly ticket public transport ₡ 15,808
Taxi trip on a business day, basic tariff, 8 km. (5 miles) ₡ 5,743
Personal Care [Edit]
Cold medicine for 6 days (Tylenol, Frenadol, Coldrex, or equivalent brands) ₡ 3,199
1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) ₡ 12,180
Short visit to private Doctor (15 minutes) ₡ 38,188
1 box of 32 tampons (Tampax, OB, ...) ₡ 3,657
Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) ₡ 2,677
Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) ₡ 3,242
4 rolls of toilet paper ₡ 1,779
Tube of toothpaste ₡ 1,453
Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city ₡ 4,833
Entertainment [Edit]
Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub ₡ 15,648
2 tickets to the movies ₡ 6,033
2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) ₡ 17,808
Dinner for two at an Italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert ₡ 30,732
1 cocktail drink in downtown club ₡ 3,561
Cappuccino in expat area of the city ₡ 2,136
1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) ₡ 1,776
iPad Air 2, 64GB ₡ 339,514
1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) ₡ 37
1 month of gym membership in business district ₡ 30,240
1 package of Marlboro cigarettes ₡ 1,957
These prices are based on abundant and consistent data. They are very reliable. They are based on 941 prices entered by 107 different people.
Latest price update: September 22, 2017.

San Jose position in our World Ranking

the world
204th
out of 319
latin america
20th
out of 53

Cheapest and most expensive products in San Jose compared to other cities:

the world
5th
latin america
2nd
latin america
2nd
latin america
3rd
latin america
4th
latin america
4th

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