Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Duncan BC and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,112 in Duncan BC, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Duncan BC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

104

Cost of Living Index in Duncan BC
Learn more

Duncan BC Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Duncan BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,112

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,112 in Duncan BC versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Duncan BC $2,112
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,371 in Duncan BC versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Duncan BC $3,371
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,630 in Duncan BC versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Duncan BC $4,630
San Jose $3,934

Living in Duncan BC is roughly 9% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Duncan BC 56% above, San Jose 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 CA$24.40

$12.38 ₡5,551

39.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 CA$97.8

$60.9 ₡27.3K

13.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 CA$14.95

$11.45 ₡5,135

-7.69%

Cappuccino

$4.06 CA$5.73

$4.39 ₡1,967

-7.52%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$2.70 ₡1,211

-21.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.36

$1.93 ₡864

-13.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 CA$7.63

$3.20 ₡1,433

68.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 CA$7.80

$4.41 ₡1,979

25.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 CA$2.20

$2.44 ₡1,093

-36.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CA$3.68

$3.05 ₡1,369

-14.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 CA$6.15

$2.41 ₡1,081

80.50%

Eggs

$4.04 CA$5.71

$3.40 ₡1,523

18.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.99 CA$16.95

$10.75 ₡4,823

11.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.34 CA$18.85

$10.43 ₡4,679

27.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.24 CA$20.13

$13.99 ₡6,273

1.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.69

$5.25 ₡2,353

-23.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.85

$1.59 ₡712

-17.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.33

$4.69 ₡2,103

-19.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.52

$3.95 ₡1,770

-1.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.83

$3.92 ₡1,760

-30.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$3.68 ₡1,651

-23.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CA$3.58

$1.12 ₡503

126.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$3.19 ₡1,429

-50.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.78 CA$19.49

$6.00 ₡2,692

129.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 CA$16.56

$19.56 ₡8,771

-40.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.82 ₡1,263

-6.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 CA$4.19

$3.59 ₡1,611

-17.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 CA$2.80

$1.12 ₡503

76.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.7 CA$83.0

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-12.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 CA$3.82

$2.50 ₡1,119

8.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$1.63 ₡733

-3.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.64 CA$43.32

$8.50 ₡3,812

260.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.76

$1.56 ₡701

-19.87%

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

$25.4K CA$35.9K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

13.43%

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

$19.7K CA$27.8K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-44.66%

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

$82.6 CA$117

$95.2 ₡42.7K

-13.23%

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

$36.70 CA$51.9

$35.58 ₡16.0K

3.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$72.0

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-13.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.4 CA$84.0

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-18.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$12.41 CA$17.54

$7.58 ₡3,401

63.72%

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

$1,032 CA$1,459

$1,001 ₡449.0K

3.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,936 CA$14.0K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-42.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 CA$79.8

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-19.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.64 CA$46.14

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-41.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

$130 ₡58.2K

-27.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 CA$133

$131 ₡58.7K

-27.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 CA$1,716

$927 ₡415.8K

30.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 CA$1,435

$774 ₡347.2K

31.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,261 CA$3,196

$1,967 ₡882.0K

14.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 CA$2,940

$1,288 ₡577.6K

61.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,345 CA$6,142

$2,274 ₡1.0M

91.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,513 CA$4,967

$1,831 ₡821.0K

91.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,075 CA$4,347

$1,016 ₡455.8K

202.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

8.62

-50.35%

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

Last update for Duncan BC: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Duncan BC

$1K 48.1%

San Jose

$774 40% 23.7% $241

Groceries & Markets

Duncan BC

$368 17.4%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 8.9% $33

Eating Out

Duncan BC

$272 12.9%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 15.6% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Duncan BC

$170 8.1%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 11.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Duncan BC

$125 5.9%

San Jose

$174 9% 39.5% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Duncan BC

$84 4%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 4.3% $3.6

Getting Around

Duncan BC

$77 3.7%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 6% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Duncan BC and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Duncan BC pays 203% 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: $69.0 in Duncan BC vs $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $368 vs $401, with Duncan BC cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Duncan BC

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

12:22 12:22 PM

13:22 1:22 PM

1 h ahead of Duncan BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,199

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Duncan BC San Jose 5,670 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Duncan BC
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

Duncan BC vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in eating out. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 203% higher in Duncan BC, 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: $1,214 in Duncan BC versus $927 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Duncan BC pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $69.0 in Duncan BC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,112 in Duncan BC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Duncan BC. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Duncan BC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.