Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheltenham and Alajuela Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheltenham and Alajuela

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,142 in Cheltenham versus $1,570 in Alajuela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,202 in Cheltenham versus $2,362 in Alajuela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,261 in Cheltenham versus $3,154 in Alajuela.

Living in Cheltenham is roughly 36% more expensive than Alajuela, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cheltenham 59% above, Alajuela 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.40 £15.17

$9.77 ₡4,416

108.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.8 £61.6

$39.38 ₡17.8K

110.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 £8.15

$9.68 ₡4,372

13.22%

Cappuccino

$4.66 £3.46

$3.55 ₡1,604

31.27%

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

$1.99 £1.48

$1.99 ₡900

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 £1.03

$1.29 ₡582

7.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.50 £4.09

$2.13 ₡961

158.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 £5.01

$3.67 ₡1,658

83.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.95 ₡880

-22.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 £0.55

$2.51 ₡1,133

-70.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 £1.51

$2.20 ₡995

-7.73%

Eggs

$4.43 £3.29

$2.22 ₡1,004

99.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.82 £3.58

$9.68 ₡4,375

-50.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.31 £5.43

$9.19 ₡4,152

-20.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.83 £11.77

$13.63 ₡6,160

16.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 £1.54

$3.94 ₡1,778

-47.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.50 ₡677

19.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 £1.50

$4.33 ₡1,954

-53.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 £2.69

$2.85 ₡1,286

27.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 £1.03

$2.80 ₡1,266

-50.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 £1.40

$2.63 ₡1,188

-28.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 £0.81

$1.01 ₡458

7.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 £1.19

$2.57 ₡1,163

-37.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.36 £12.91

$4.86 ₡2,197

257.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.99 £8.17

$21.72 ₡9,814

-49.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 £1.45

$2.15 ₡971

-9.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 £1.42

$2.46 ₡1,109

-21.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 £2.64

$0.89 ₡401

298.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.6 £42.85

$113 ₡51.1K

-49.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 £2.98

$1.39 ₡628

188.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 £1.06

$1.37 ₡617

4.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.98 £19.32

$7.96 ₡3,598

226.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.47 ₡664

27.21%

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

$38.0K £28.3K

$37.5K ₡17.0M

1.38%

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

$41.4K £30.8K

$32.3K ₡14.6M

28.13%

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

$263 £196

$44.21 ₡20.0K

494.82%

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

$15.90 £11.83

$20.15 ₡9,104

-21.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.90 £32.64

$32.37 ₡14.6K

35.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.85 £32.60

$63.6 ₡28.7K

-31.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.12 £17.93

$42.94 ₡19.4K

-43.83%

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 £10.22

$8.87 ₡4,010

54.90%

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

$1,398 £1,039

$304 ₡137.4K

359.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K £10.3K

$2,368 ₡1.1M

486.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 £82.3

$61.5 ₡27.8K

80.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.58 £27.20

$52.5 ₡23.7K

-30.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 £83.6

$119 ₡53.9K

-5.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.2 £73.0

$99.2 ₡44.8K

-0.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 £896

$697 ₡315.1K

72.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$963 £716

$607 ₡274.1K

58.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,252 £1,674

$978 ₡442.0K

130.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 £1,219

$942 ₡425.7K

73.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,754 £4,278

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,728 £4,259

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,966 £2,949

$2,078 ₡939.0K

90.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.79

10.17

-43.07%

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

Last update for Cheltenham: June 9, 2026

Last update for Alajuela: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,204 in Cheltenham and $697 in Alajuela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheltenham pays 91% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $83.0 in Cheltenham vs $39.00 in Alajuela. Groceries flip the comparison at $261 vs $346, with Cheltenham cheaper for home cooking.

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

Cheltenham vs Alajuela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alajuela is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cheltenham pays 91% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,204 in Cheltenham versus $697 in Alajuela. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Alajuela runs roughly 96% less than in Cheltenham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,398 in Cheltenham versus $304 in Alajuela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,570 in Alajuela versus $2,142 in Cheltenham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Alajuela but tight or insufficient in Cheltenham. The gap between the two cities makes Alajuela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Alajuela is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cheltenham, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cheltenham and Alajuela are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Alajuela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Cheltenham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.