Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daule and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Daule: $855 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Daule
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Daule Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Daule

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$855

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Daule versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Daule $855
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Daule versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Daule $1,415
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,976 in Daule versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Daule $1,976
San Jose $3,934

Living in Daule costs roughly 56% less than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Daule is 37% below, San Jose is 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.90 $5.90

$12.38 ₡5,551

-52.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.4 $54.4

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-10.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 $7.52

$11.45 ₡5,135

-34.32%

Cappuccino

$3.43 $3.43

$4.39 ₡1,967

-21.87%

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

$1.39 $1.39

$2.70 ₡1,211

-48.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.93 ₡864

-40.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.20 ₡1,433

6.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.02 $6.02

$4.41 ₡1,979

36.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$2.44 ₡1,093

-52.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$3.05 ₡1,369

-47.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.41 ₡1,081

-36.93%

Eggs

$2.09 $2.09

$3.40 ₡1,523

-38.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$10.75 ₡4,823

-41.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$10.43 ₡4,679

-47.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 $7.50

$13.99 ₡6,273

-46.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$5.25 ₡2,353

-55.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.59 ₡712

-25.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$4.69 ₡2,103

-71.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$3.95 ₡1,770

-72.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$3.92 ₡1,760

-68.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$3.68 ₡1,651

-72.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.12 ₡503

-18.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$3.19 ₡1,429

-68.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 $5.92

$6.00 ₡2,692

-1.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 $10.19

$19.56 ₡8,771

-47.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.82 ₡1,263

-46.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 $3.19

$3.59 ₡1,611

-11.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 $0.38

$1.12 ₡503

-66.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.38 $16.38

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-75.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.50 ₡1,119

-39.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.63 ₡733

-6.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 $10.02

$8.50 ₡3,812

17.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.56 ₡701

-44.87%

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

$20.8K $20.8K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

-7.30%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-21.50%

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

$28.96 $28.96

$95.2 ₡42.7K

-69.59%

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

$18.12 $18.12

$35.58 ₡16.0K

-49.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.72 $28.72

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-51.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 $25.86

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-64.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.36 $17.36

$24.85 ₡11.1K

-30.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.26 $6.26

$7.58 ₡3,401

-17.41%

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

$231 $231

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-76.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,779 $8,779

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-48.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 $70.5

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-0.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.15 $49.15

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-11.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$130 ₡58.2K

-9.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$131 ₡58.7K

-16.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 $269

$927 ₡415.8K

-71.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$211 $211

$774 ₡347.2K

-72.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 $668

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-66.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 $381

$1,288 ₡577.6K

-70.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,216 $1,216

$2,274 ₡1.0M

-46.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$755 $755

$1,831 ₡821.0K

-58.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

8.62

17.40%

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

Last update for Daule: 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

Daule

$211 24.7%

San Jose

$774 40% 266% $563

Groceries & Markets

Daule

$196 22.9%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 105% $205

Clothing & Footwear

Daule

$156 18.2%

San Jose

$174 9% 11.7% $18

Eating Out

Daule

$150 17.6%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 52.8% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daule

$76 8.9%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 150% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Daule

$38 4.5%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 129% $49

Getting Around

Daule

$27 3.2%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 203% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $269 in Daule and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Daule vs $61.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $401 per month, with Daule cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Daule

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

00:59 12:59 AM

23:59 11:59 PM

1 h behind Daule

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

173,684

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Daule San Jose 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Daule
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

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

Daule is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,282 in Daule and $2,907 in San Jose to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $269 in Daule versus $927 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Daule – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $61.0 in San Jose. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $855 per month in Daule versus $1,938 in San Jose – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $855 in Daule versus $1,938 in San Jose, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Daule but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Daule the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Daule gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.