Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Duitama and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Duitama: $1,282 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.

63

Cost of Living Index in Duitama
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Duitama Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Duitama

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,282

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,282 in Duitama versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Duitama $1,282
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,026 in Duitama versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Duitama $2,026
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,770 in Duitama versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Duitama $2,770
San Jose $3,934

Living in Duitama costs roughly 34% less than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Duitama is 5% below, San Jose is 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.92 COP 25.1K

$12.38 ₡5,551

-36.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.97 COP 136.3K

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-29.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 COP 32.6K

$11.45 ₡5,135

-10.22%

Cappuccino

$2.60 COP 8,254

$4.39 ₡1,967

-40.77%

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

$1.35 COP 4,280

$2.70 ₡1,211

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 2,681

$1.93 ₡864

-55.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 COP 6,401

$3.20 ₡1,433

-36.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 COP 12.6K

$4.41 ₡1,979

-10.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 COP 5,251

$2.44 ₡1,093

-31.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 COP 8,007

$3.05 ₡1,369

-17.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,175

$2.41 ₡1,081

-32.37%

Eggs

$3.51 COP 11.1K

$3.40 ₡1,523

3.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 COP 24.6K

$10.75 ₡4,823

-27.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.37 COP 23.4K

$10.43 ₡4,679

-29.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.00 COP 31.7K

$13.99 ₡6,273

-28.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 COP 11.3K

$5.25 ₡2,353

-32.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 COP 5,553

$1.59 ₡712

10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 COP 6,040

$4.69 ₡2,103

-59.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 COP 5,635

$3.95 ₡1,770

-54.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,516

$3.92 ₡1,760

-63.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,367

$3.68 ₡1,651

-62.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 COP 4,238

$1.12 ₡503

19.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 COP 3,745

$3.19 ₡1,429

-63.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 COP 14.0K

$6.00 ₡2,692

-26.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.62 COP 40.0K

$19.56 ₡8,771

-35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 COP 4,397

$2.82 ₡1,263

-50.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 COP 9,080

$3.59 ₡1,611

-20.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 COP 3,612

$1.12 ₡503

1.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 COP 7,641

$2.50 ₡1,119

-3.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 COP 7,336

$1.63 ₡733

41.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.41 COP 29.8K

$8.50 ₡3,812

10.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,263

$1.56 ₡701

-14.10%

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

$23.3K COP 74.0M

$22.4K ₡10.0M

4.10%

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

$34.8K COP 110.4M

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-2.13%

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

$126 COP 399.4K

$95.2 ₡42.7K

32.30%

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

$16.01 COP 50.8K

$35.58 ₡16.0K

-55.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.98 COP 95.1K

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-48.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.07 COP 133.4K

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-42.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$7.58 ₡3,401

5.80%

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

$500 COP 1.6M

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-50.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,438 COP 23.6M

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-56.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.2 COP 263.7K

$70.5 ₡31.6K

18.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.43 COP 153.6K

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-13.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 COP 448.9K

$130 ₡58.2K

9.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 333.2K

$131 ₡58.7K

-19.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 COP 1.9M

$927 ₡415.8K

-36.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 COP 1.4M

$774 ₡347.2K

-41.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 COP 3.3M

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-46.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 COP 3.0M

$1,288 ₡577.6K

-27.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,232 COP 7.1M

$2,274 ₡1.0M

-1.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 COP 5.7M

$1,831 ₡821.0K

-2.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.81

8.62

48.61%

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

Last update for Duitama: October 10, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Duitama

$449 35%

San Jose

$774 40% 72.3% $325

Groceries & Markets

Duitama

$262 20.4%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 53.2% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Duitama

$172 13.4%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 10.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Duitama

$170 13.3%

San Jose

$174 9% 2.3% $3.9

Eating Out

Duitama

$152 11.9%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 50.6% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Duitama

$58 4.5%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 51.2% $30

Getting Around

Duitama

$19 * 1.5%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 342% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $591 in Duitama and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Duitama vs $61.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $262 vs $401 per month, with Duitama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Duitama

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

22:17 10:17 PM

21:17 9:17 PM

1 h behind Duitama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,670

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 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 COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Duitama San Jose 1,300 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Duitama
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

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

Duitama wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in San Jose. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Duitama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,923 in Duitama 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: $591 in Duitama versus $927 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in San Jose. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,282 per month in Duitama versus $1,938 in San Jose – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,282 in Duitama versus $1,938 in San Jose, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Duitama but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Duitama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Duitama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,282 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Duitama hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Duitama and San Jose 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 Duitama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.