Cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica

Change the currency:
Food [Edit]
Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district ₡ 4,526
Combo meal in fast food restaurant (Big Mac Meal or similar) ₡ 3,783
500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast ₡ 2,361
1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk ₡ 837
12 eggs, large ₡ 1,788
1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes ₡ 1,309
500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese ₡ 3,653
1 kg (2 lb.) of apples ₡ 2,673
1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes ₡ 1,049
0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket ₡ 929
1 bottle of red table wine, good quality ₡ 7,363
2 liters of Coca-Cola ₡ 1,458
Bread for 2 people for 1 day ₡ 744
Housing [Edit]
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in EXPENSIVE area ₡ 804,188
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in NORMAL area ₡ 328,910
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat ₡ 62,686
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 Sqft) furnished studio in EXPENSIVE area ₡ 514,758
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 Sqft) furnished studio in NORMAL area ₡ 257,513
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 Sqft) studio ₡ 48,868
Internet 8 Mbps (1 month) ₡ 21,017
40” flat screen TV ₡ 283,354
Microwave 800/900 Watt (Bosch, Panasonic, LG, Sharp, or equivalent brands) ₡ 59,355
Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) ₡ 3,847
Hourly rate for cleaning help ₡ 1,753
Clothes [Edit]
1 pair of jeans (Levis 501 or similar) ₡ 35,438
1 summer dress in a High Street Store (Zara, H&M or similar retailers) ₡ 29,532
1 pair of sport shoes (Nike, Adidas, or equivalent brands) ₡ 60,764
1 pair of men’s leather business shoes ₡ 55,032
Transportation [Edit]
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI 150 CV (or equivalent), with no extras, new ₡ 11,110,400
1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas ₡ 636
Monthly ticket public transport ₡ 19,594
Taxi trip on a business day, basic tariff, 8 km. (5 miles) ₡ 5,815
Personal Care [Edit]
Cold medicine for 6 days (Tylenol, Frenadol, Coldrex, or equivalent brands) ₡ 3,055
1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) ₡ 10,908
Short visit to private Doctor (15 minutes) ₡ 37,979
1 box of 32 tampons (Tampax, OB, ...) ₡ 3,445
Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) ₡ 2,753
Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) ₡ 3,269
4 rolls of toilet paper ₡ 1,662
Tube of toothpaste ₡ 1,523
Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city ₡ 5,140
Entertainment [Edit]
Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub ₡ 15,309
2 tickets to the movies ₡ 5,868
2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) ₡ 23,453
Dinner for two at an Italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert ₡ 30,819
1 cocktail drink in downtown club ₡ 3,404
Cappuccino in expat area of the city ₡ 2,071
1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) ₡ 1,875
iPod nano 16GB ₡ 94,375
1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) ₡ 37
1 month of gym membership in business district ₡ 29,982
1 package of Marlboro cigarettes ₡ 1,967
These prices are based on abundant and consistent data. They are very reliable. They are based on 1,048 prices entered by 104 different people.
Latest price update: July 28, 2017.

San Jose position in our World Ranking

the world
184th
out of 292
latin america
17th
out of 50

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
3rd
latin america
3rd

Do you live in San Jose? We need your help!

What is the price of

Furnished accommodation in EXPENSIVE area

in San Jose?

₡

International Cost of Living Index

loading...

Recent Prices Added

  • Public transport in Cordova costs €1.30 (6 minutes ago)
  • Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district in Sylhet costs Taka 500 (11 minutes ago)
  • Monthly rent - 85 m2 furnished accommodation in expensive area in Monterrey costs Mex$ 4,900 (12 minutes ago)
  • Monthly rent - 900 sqft furnished accommodation in expensive area in Delhi costs ₨45,743 (21 minutes ago)
  • One-way ticket in public transport in Rio de Janeiro costs R$ 4.30 (23 minutes ago)
  • Internet connection 300 mbps, 1 month in Sharjah costs Dirham 799 (28 minutes ago)

What do you think about the cost of living in San Jose?