Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambato and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $605 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
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Ambato Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$605

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ambato 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 Ambato and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $605 per month in Ambato vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Ambato $605
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $985 per month in Ambato vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Ambato $985
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $1,364 per month in Ambato vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Ambato $1,364
San Jose $3,934

Ambato is about 69% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ambato sits 55% below the global median, while San Jose is 44% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 $3.46

$12.38 ₡5,562

-72.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.93 $29.93

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-50.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 $5.32

$11.45 ₡5,145

-53.54%

Cappuccino

$2.76 $2.76

$4.39 ₡1,971

-37.13%

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

$0.82 $0.82

$2.70 ₡1,213

-69.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.93 ₡865

-61.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.20 ₡1,436

-38.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$4.41 ₡1,982

-26.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.44 ₡1,095

-59.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 $0.98

$3.05 ₡1,372

-67.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.41 ₡1,083

-34.85%

Eggs

$1.73 $1.73

$3.40 ₡1,526

-49.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$10.75 ₡4,832

-49.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$10.43 ₡4,688

-70.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$13.99 ₡6,286

-71.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$5.25 ₡2,357

-75.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.59 ₡713

-44.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$4.69 ₡2,107

-78.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$3.95 ₡1,774

-73.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$3.92 ₡1,763

-80.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$3.68 ₡1,655

-73.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.12 ₡504

-34.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$3.19 ₡1,432

-67.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 $5.15

$6.00 ₡2,697

-14.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 $8.78

$19.56 ₡8,788

-55.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.82 ₡1,266

-48.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.59 ₡1,614

-21.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 $0.29

$1.12 ₡504

-74.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.21 $14.21

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-78.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.50 ₡1,121

-44.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.63 ₡734

-31.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.43 $9.43

$8.50 ₡3,819

10.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.56 ₡702

-44.87%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$22.4K ₡10.1M

4.13%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-20.90%

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

$39.20 $39.20

$95.2 ₡42.8K

-58.83%

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

$13.58 $13.58

$35.58 ₡16.0K

-61.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.39 $26.39

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-54.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 $29.76

$72.7 ₡32.7K

-59.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 $4.39

$7.58 ₡3,408

-42.08%

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

$224 $224

$1,001 ₡449.9K

-77.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,408 $2,408

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-85.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.25 $48.25

$70.5 ₡31.7K

-31.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.22 $35.22

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-36.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 $71.2

$130 ₡58.3K

-45.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 $55.5

$131 ₡58.8K

-57.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 $178

$927 ₡416.6K

-80.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$124 $124

$774 ₡347.9K

-83.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 $380

$1,967 ₡883.7K

-80.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 $273

$1,288 ₡578.7K

-78.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,130 $1,130

$2,274 ₡1.0M

-50.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$884 $884

$1,831 ₡822.6K

-51.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$679 $679

$1,016 ₡456.7K

-33.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.41%

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

Last update for Ambato: October 10, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ambato

$147 24.3%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 173% $254

Accommodation & Living

Ambato

$124 20.5%

San Jose

$774 40% 523% $650

Eating Out

Ambato

$99 16.4%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 131% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Ambato

$95 15.6%

San Jose

$174 9% 84.1% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambato

$79 13.1%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 139% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Ambato

$39 6.4%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 128% $49

Getting Around

Ambato

$22 3.7%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 267% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $178 in Ambato 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.

Salaries run about 50% higher in San Jose, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Ambato versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $147 vs $401 – making Ambato the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Ambato

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

11:50 11:50 AM

1 h behind Ambato

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,185

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ambato San Jose 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ambato
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

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

San Jose costs about 220% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $908 per month in Ambato 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 Ambato, 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 $30.00 in Ambato and $61.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $605 in Ambato and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 220%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $605, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Ambato it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ambato costs $605 versus $1,938 in San Jose. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Ambato. 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.