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: $2,412 in Cheltenham versus $999 in Alajuela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,591 in Cheltenham versus $1,603 in Alajuela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,770 in Cheltenham versus $2,206 in Alajuela.

Living in Cheltenham is roughly 141% more expensive than in Alajuela, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cheltenham is 76% above, Alajuela is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.04 £17.97

$12.14 ₡5,398

98.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 £81.7

$44.89 ₡20.0K

143.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.50 £8.59

$11.26 ₡5,004

2.13%

Cappuccino

$4.66 £3.48

$4.35 ₡1,935

7.13%

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

$2.64 £1.97

$2.56 ₡1,138

3.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 £1.39

$1.82 ₡808

1.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 £5.96

$3.07 ₡1,363

159.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 £4.97

$4.05 ₡1,798

64.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.31

$2.47 ₡1,097

-29.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.08 ₡478

54.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 £1.56

$2.19 ₡972

-4.57%

Eggs

$4.38 £3.27

$3.51 ₡1,559

24.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 £6.13

$10.86 ₡4,827

-24.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 £7.24

$10.53 ₡4,679

-7.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.09 £9.78

$14.39 ₡6,396

-9.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 £2.32

$2.26 ₡1,003

37.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.60 ₡713

-8.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 £1.49

$2.23 ₡991

-10.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 £2.65

$3.83 ₡1,703

-7.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$2.18 ₡968

-26.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 £1.11

$2.24 ₡996

-33.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 £0.92

$0.99 ₡439

25.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.02 ₡454

49.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.52 £17.57

$5.52 ₡2,454

326.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.68 £7.98

$20.52 ₡9,118

-47.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 £2.16

$1.46 ₡648

97.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 £2.29

$0.97 ₡431

215.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 £2.61

$0.75 ₡335

365.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.4 £70.5

$127 ₡56.5K

-25.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 £2.58

$1.80 ₡800

92.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 £1.29

$1.58 ₡703

8.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.52 £19.82

$7.88 ₡3,503

236.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.39

$1.50 ₡667

24.00%

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

$37.9K £28.3K

$22.3K ₡9.9M

69.99%

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

$41.7K £31.1K

$28.0K ₡12.4M

48.84%

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

$347 £259

$79.2 ₡35.2K

338.19%

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

$17.19 £12.84

$30.29 ₡13.5K

-43.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 £38.44

$63.6 ₡28.2K

-19.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.28 £33.84

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.93 £29.84

Cinema Ticket

$14.20 £10.61

$8.22 ₡3,655

72.75%

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

$2,015 £1,506

$1,010 ₡449.1K

99.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K £19.0K

$17.1K ₡7.6M

47.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 £75.9

$71.8 ₡31.9K

41.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.57 £36.30

$57.3 ₡25.5K

-15.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 £81.3

$132 ₡58.8K

-17.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 £74.6

$74.6 ₡33.2K

33.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 £867

$741 ₡329.5K

56.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 £696

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,221 £1,660

$1,382 ₡614.0K

60.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 £1,221

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,887 £4,399

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,792 £4,328

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,859 £3,631

$2,124 ₡943.8K

128.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

8.78

-36.90%

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

Last update for Cheltenham: September 14, 2026

Last update for Alajuela: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,160 in Cheltenham and $741 in Alajuela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheltenham pays 129% 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: $109 in Cheltenham vs $45.00 in Alajuela. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $313, 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 141% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 129% higher in Cheltenham, 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: $1,160 in Cheltenham versus $741 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 35% less than in Cheltenham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,015 in Cheltenham versus $1,010 in Alajuela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $999 in Alajuela versus $2,412 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 141% less than in Cheltenham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.