Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Acuna and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Acuna: $1,128 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Acuna
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Acuna Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Acuna

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,128

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Acuna and in San Jose

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Acuna and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,128 per month in Acuna vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Acuna $1,128
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $1,861 per month in Acuna vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Acuna $1,861
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $2,594 per month in Acuna vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Acuna $2,594
San Jose $3,934

Acuna is about 42% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Acuna sits 16% below the global median, while San Jose is 44% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 MX$226

$12.38 ₡5,551

-1.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.26 MX$744

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-33.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 MX$151

$11.45 ₡5,135

-28.56%

Cappuccino

$3.04 MX$56.1

$4.39 ₡1,967

-30.75%

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

$1.26 MX$23.26

$2.70 ₡1,211

-53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$21.43

$1.93 ₡864

-39.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 MX$41.51

$3.20 ₡1,433

-29.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 MX$64.9

$4.41 ₡1,979

-20.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MX$33.55

$2.44 ₡1,093

-25.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 MX$47.59

$3.05 ₡1,369

-15.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MX$31.92

$2.41 ₡1,081

-28.22%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.18

$3.40 ₡1,523

-26.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 MX$146

$10.75 ₡4,823

-26.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$10.43 ₡4,679

-23.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.30 MX$227

$13.99 ₡6,273

-12.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$57.0

$5.25 ₡2,353

-41.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.10

$1.59 ₡712

-4.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.95

$4.69 ₡2,103

-58.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 MX$32.16

$3.95 ₡1,770

-55.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$36.12

$3.92 ₡1,760

-50.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 MX$34.34

$3.68 ₡1,651

-49.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 MX$25.17

$1.12 ₡503

21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.50

$3.19 ₡1,429

-61.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$75.3

$6.00 ₡2,692

-32.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.98 MX$203

$19.56 ₡8,771

-43.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.24

$2.82 ₡1,263

-43.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$3.59 ₡1,611

-7.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 MX$10.92

$1.12 ₡503

-47.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 MX$45.72

$2.50 ₡1,119

-1.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 MX$39.55

$1.63 ₡733

31.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.51 MX$231

$8.50 ₡3,812

47.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$24.23

$1.56 ₡701

-16.03%

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

$22.6K MX$417.6K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

0.85%

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

$26.6K MX$491.6K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-25.23%

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

$55.5 MX$1,025

$95.2 ₡42.7K

-41.76%

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

$21.62 MX$399

$35.58 ₡16.0K

-39.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.24 MX$540

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-50.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.72 MX$697

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-48.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.85 MX$367

$24.85 ₡11.1K

-20.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.30 MX$97.9

$7.58 ₡3,401

-30.08%

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

$242 MX$4,477

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-75.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,625 MX$85.5K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-73.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 MX$1,017

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-21.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.44 MX$803

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-22.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,043

$130 ₡58.2K

-14.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.6 MX$1,729

$131 ₡58.7K

-28.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 MX$10.0K

$927 ₡415.8K

-41.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 MX$6,785

$774 ₡347.2K

-52.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$17.8K

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-51.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$817 MX$15.1K

$1,288 ₡577.6K

-36.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,129 MX$39.4K

$2,274 ₡1.0M

-6.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,319 MX$24.4K

$1,831 ₡821.0K

-27.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

8.62

31.09%

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

Last update for Acuna: October 13, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Acuna

$367 32.5%

San Jose

$774 40% 111% $407

Groceries & Markets

Acuna

$268 23.8%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 49.5% $133

Eating Out

Acuna

$187 16.5%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 22.9% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Acuna

$136 12.1%

San Jose

$174 9% 27.8% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Acuna

$106 9.4%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 78.2% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Acuna

$48 4.3%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 81.8% $40

Getting Around

Acuna

$16 * 1.4%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 427% $66

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $543 in Acuna versus $927 in San Jose. 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 $40.00 in Acuna versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $401 – making Acuna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Acuna

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

02:42 2:42 AM

01:42 1:42 AM

1 h behind Acuna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

160,225

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Acuna San Jose 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Acuna
San Jose

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

Acuna vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,693 per month in Acuna and $2,907 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Acuna, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Acuna and $61.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 49% more in San Jose, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Acuna, where all-in costs run around $1,128, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Acuna it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Acuna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Acuna. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.