Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Envigado and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Envigado: $1,298 a month against $1,924 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Envigado
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Envigado Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Envigado

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,298

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,298 in Envigado versus $1,924 in San Jose.

Envigado $1,298
San Jose $1,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,060 in Envigado versus $2,926 in San Jose.

Envigado $2,060
San Jose $2,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,823 in Envigado versus $3,929 in San Jose.

Envigado $2,823
San Jose $3,929

Living in Envigado costs roughly 33% less than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Envigado is 4% below, San Jose is 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.12 COP 22.6K

$12.29 ₡5,513

-42.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.77 COP 151.5K

$62.3 ₡27.9K

-23.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.56 COP 30.3K

$11.53 ₡5,171

-17.09%

Cappuccino

$2.70 COP 8,571

$4.35 ₡1,953

-37.93%

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

$1.38 COP 4,388

$2.64 ₡1,183

-47.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 COP 3,209

$1.86 ₡836

-45.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 COP 10.0K

$3.32 ₡1,490

-4.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 COP 11.6K

$4.52 ₡2,026

-18.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,237

$2.39 ₡1,073

-43.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 COP 8,224

$3.08 ₡1,381

-15.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,827

$2.50 ₡1,119

-39.20%

Eggs

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$3.48 ₡1,562

-6.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 COP 28.6K

$10.74 ₡4,815

-16.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 COP 27.2K

$10.32 ₡4,629

-16.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.80 COP 37.4K

$14.10 ₡6,325

-16.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 COP 12.9K

$5.03 ₡2,256

-18.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,298

$1.59 ₡714

5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,672

$4.84 ₡2,171

-56.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 COP 6,293

$3.96 ₡1,776

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,330

$3.76 ₡1,684

-63.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,355

$3.73 ₡1,674

-54.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,738

$1.08 ₡485

9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,693

$3.25 ₡1,456

-64.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 COP 13.4K

$5.86 ₡2,627

-27.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.97 COP 41.1K

$20.28 ₡9,095

-36.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 COP 4,420

$2.90 ₡1,300

-52.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 COP 7,635

$3.73 ₡1,673

-35.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 COP 3,597

$1.08 ₡486

4.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 COP 5,051

$2.50 ₡1,123

-36.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.63 ₡732

22.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.34 COP 23.3K

$8.71 ₡3,904

-15.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,249

$1.58 ₡709

-15.19%

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

$34.4K COP 109.1M

$33.6K ₡15.1M

2.40%

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

$34.9K COP 110.8M

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-16.16%

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

$126 COP 399.5K

$93.7 ₡42.0K

34.52%

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

$13.19 COP 41.8K

$35.42 ₡15.9K

-62.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.90 COP 98.0K

$60.0 ₡26.9K

-48.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 COP 103.6K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-54.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 COP 20.3K

$7.74 ₡3,471

-17.18%

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

$568 COP 1.8M

$1,005 ₡450.9K

-43.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,403 COP 26.6M

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-50.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.6 COP 264.9K

$73.1 ₡32.8K

14.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.32 COP 156.4K

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-11.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 COP 485.3K

$128 ₡57.5K

19.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 334.7K

$130 ₡58.5K

-19.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 COP 1.8M

$932 ₡418.0K

-40.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 COP 1.5M

$760 ₡340.8K

-39.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 COP 3.4M

$1,922 ₡862.0K

-43.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 COP 3.0M

$1,276 ₡572.1K

-25.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,895 COP 6.0M

$2,301 ₡1.0M

-17.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,739 COP 5.5M

$1,833 ₡821.9K

-5.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

39.21%

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

Last update for Envigado: October 18, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Envigado

$463 35.6%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 64.3% $297

Groceries & Markets

Envigado

$276 21.3%

San Jose

$403 21% 45.9% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Envigado

$176 13.6%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 1.1% $2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Envigado

$170 13.1%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 11.2% $19

Eating Out

Envigado

$151 11.6%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 51.7% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Envigado

$45 3.5%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 93.6% $43

Getting Around

Envigado

$16 * 1.2%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 400% $64

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 $558 in Envigado and $932 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Envigado vs $62.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $403 per month, with Envigado cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Envigado

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

12:47 12:47 PM

1 h behind Envigado

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

204,399

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 23, 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 23, 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

Envigado San Jose 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Envigado
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

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

Envigado wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in San Jose. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Envigado the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,946 in Envigado and $2,886 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: $558 in Envigado versus $932 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $568 in Envigado versus $1,005 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Envigado – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $62.0 in San Jose. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,298 in Envigado versus $1,924 in San Jose, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Envigado but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Envigado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Envigado delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,298 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Envigado hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Envigado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.