Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartago: $1,281 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Cartago

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,281

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,281 per month in Cartago vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Cartago $1,281
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $1,972 per month in Cartago vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Cartago $1,972
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $2,663 per month in Cartago vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Cartago $2,663
San Jose $3,934

Cartago is about 34% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cartago sits 5% below the global median, while San Jose is 44% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.58 COP 24.1K

$12.38 ₡5,562

-38.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.20 COP 118.3K

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-38.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 COP 26.9K

$11.45 ₡5,145

-26.03%

Cappuccino

$1.54 COP 4,884

$4.39 ₡1,971

-64.92%

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

$1.28 COP 4,063

$2.70 ₡1,213

-52.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 COP 2,634

$1.93 ₡865

-56.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 COP 9,869

$3.20 ₡1,436

-3.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 COP 11.7K

$4.41 ₡1,982

-17.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 COP 5,088

$2.44 ₡1,095

-34.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 COP 5,973

$3.05 ₡1,372

-38.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 COP 4,751

$2.41 ₡1,083

-38.17%

Eggs

$2.93 COP 9,334

$3.40 ₡1,526

-13.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 COP 20.9K

$10.75 ₡4,832

-38.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.11 COP 22.6K

$10.43 ₡4,688

-31.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.93 COP 31.6K

$13.99 ₡6,286

-29.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 COP 11.4K

$5.25 ₡2,357

-32.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,200

$1.59 ₡713

-16.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,530

$4.69 ₡2,107

-62.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,184

$3.95 ₡1,774

-58.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,522

$3.92 ₡1,763

-63.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,758

$3.68 ₡1,655

-59.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,443

$1.12 ₡504

-3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 COP 3,261

$3.19 ₡1,432

-67.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 COP 11.7K

$6.00 ₡2,697

-38.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.12 COP 41.7K

$19.56 ₡8,788

-32.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 COP 4,756

$2.82 ₡1,266

-46.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 COP 7,794

$3.59 ₡1,614

-31.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 COP 3,244

$1.12 ₡504

-8.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 COP 2,524

$2.50 ₡1,121

-68.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 COP 7,230

$1.63 ₡734

39.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.40 COP 26.7K

$8.50 ₡3,819

-1.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 COP 4,211

$1.56 ₡702

-15.38%

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

$28.0K COP 89.1M

$22.4K ₡10.1M

25.08%

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

$34.6K COP 110.2M

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-2.63%

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

$110 COP 349.3K

$95.2 ₡42.8K

15.35%

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

$13.23 COP 42.1K

$35.58 ₡16.0K

-62.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.26 COP 96.2K

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-48.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.32 COP 134.6K

$72.7 ₡32.7K

-41.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 COP 26.2K

$7.58 ₡3,408

8.71%

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

$701 COP 2.2M

$1,001 ₡449.9K

-30.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,430 COP 20.5M

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-62.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 COP 247.3K

$70.5 ₡31.7K

10.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 COP 175.4K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-1.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 COP 403.0K

$130 ₡58.3K

-2.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 COP 351.7K

$131 ₡58.8K

-15.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 COP 2.1M

$927 ₡416.6K

-30.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 COP 1.6M

$774 ₡347.9K

-34.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 COP 3.3M

$1,967 ₡883.7K

-47.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 COP 3.1M

$1,288 ₡578.7K

-24.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,999 COP 6.4M

$2,274 ₡1.0M

-12.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,803 COP 5.7M

$1,831 ₡822.6K

-1.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡456.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

8.62

34.34%

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

Last update for Cartago: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartago

$509 39.7%

San Jose

$774 40% 52.1% $265

Groceries & Markets

Cartago

$241 18.8%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 66.4% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Cartago

$167 13%

San Jose

$174 9% 4.5% $7.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartago

$153 12%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 23.6% $36

Eating Out

Cartago

$136 10.6%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 69% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Cartago

$59 4.6%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 49.4% $29

Getting Around

Cartago

$16 * 1.3%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 405% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $645 in Cartago 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 $37.00 in Cartago versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $401 – making Cartago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cartago

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

04:22 4:22 AM

1 h behind Cartago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

135,365

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,562 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 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).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cartago San Jose 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cartago
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

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

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,921 per month in Cartago 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 Cartago, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,281 in Cartago and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 51%.

Kindergarten costs $701 per month in Cartago and $1,001 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cartago, where all-in costs run around $1,281, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Cartago it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cartago – 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 Cartago. 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.