Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Creston and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,094 in Creston, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Creston outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

109

Cost of Living Index in Creston
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Creston Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Creston

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,094

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,094 per month in Creston vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Creston $2,094
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $3,206 per month in Creston vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Creston $3,206
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $4,318 per month in Creston vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Creston $4,318
San Jose $3,934

Creston costs about 8% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Creston and San Jose sit above the global median – Creston by 55%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.34

$12.38 ₡5,551

39.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 CA$93.0

$60.9 ₡27.3K

8.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.38 CA$16.08

$11.45 ₡5,135

-0.61%

Cappuccino

$4.05 CA$5.73

$4.39 ₡1,967

-7.74%

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

$1.96 CA$2.76

$2.70 ₡1,211

-27.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$1.93 ₡864

-19.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$3.20 ₡1,433

59.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 CA$6.78

$4.41 ₡1,979

8.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 CA$2.84

$2.44 ₡1,093

-17.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 CA$4.06

$3.05 ₡1,369

-5.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 CA$4.47

$2.41 ₡1,081

31.12%

Eggs

$4.25 CA$6.00

$3.40 ₡1,523

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 CA$13.87

$10.75 ₡4,823

-8.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.10 CA$14.28

$10.43 ₡4,679

-3.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.57 CA$20.59

$13.99 ₡6,273

4.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.32

$5.25 ₡2,353

-28.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.85

$1.59 ₡712

-17.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 CA$4.73

$4.69 ₡2,103

-28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.61

$3.95 ₡1,770

0.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 CA$3.05

$3.92 ₡1,760

-44.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 CA$3.29

$3.68 ₡1,651

-36.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.53

$1.12 ₡503

123.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CA$1.96

$3.19 ₡1,429

-56.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 CA$18.18

$6.00 ₡2,692

114.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.15

$19.56 ₡8,771

-27.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.82 ₡1,263

-21.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CA$4.27

$3.59 ₡1,611

-15.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.08 CA$2.95

$1.12 ₡503

85.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.4 CA$75.5

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-20.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.11

$2.50 ₡1,119

16.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.99

$1.63 ₡733

-13.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.72 CA$32.11

$8.50 ₡3,812

167.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.59

$1.56 ₡701

-28.21%

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

$24.2K CA$34.2K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

7.92%

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

$18.7K CA$26.5K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-47.35%

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

$132 CA$186

$95.2 ₡42.7K

38.50%

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

$37.43 CA$52.9

$35.58 ₡16.0K

5.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 CA$75.5

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-8.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.37 CA$52.8

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-48.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.25 CA$27.22

$24.85 ₡11.1K

-22.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 CA$15.69

$7.58 ₡3,401

46.44%

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

$705 CA$996

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-29.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K CA$18.5K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-23.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 CA$75.5

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-24.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.30 CA$61.2

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-22.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 CA$131

$130 ₡58.2K

-28.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$149

$131 ₡58.7K

-19.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 CA$1,613

$927 ₡415.8K

23.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 CA$1,403

$774 ₡347.2K

28.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,934 CA$2,734

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-1.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 CA$2,561

$1,288 ₡577.6K

40.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,677 CA$5,198

$2,274 ₡1.0M

61.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,646 CA$5,155

$1,831 ₡821.0K

99.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.66

8.62

-45.94%

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

Last update for Creston: 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

Creston

$993 47.4%

San Jose

$774 40% 22% $218

Groceries & Markets

Creston

$345 16.5%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 16.1% $56

Eating Out

Creston

$270 12.9%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 14.9% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Creston

$223 10.6%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 14.9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Creston

$133 6.3%

San Jose

$174 9% 31.2% $41

Getting Around

Creston

$72 3.4%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 14.3% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Creston

$60 2.8%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 47.5% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,141 in Creston 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 $66.0 in Creston versus $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Creston vs $401 in San Jose – so Creston wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Creston

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

11:44 11:44 AM

12:44 12:44 PM

1 h ahead of Creston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,583

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 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 CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Creston San Jose 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Creston
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

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

Yes – Creston is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,141 per month in Creston 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 San Jose, 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 $2,094 in Creston and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 8%.

Public transport costs about 25% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Creston at $2,094. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Creston it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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