Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Escazu and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Escazu: $1,934 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,934

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,934 in Escazu versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Escazu $1,934
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,959 in Escazu versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Escazu $2,959
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,984 in Escazu versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Escazu $3,984
San Jose $4,054

Living in Escazu costs roughly 8% less than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Escazu 43% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.06 ₡5,423

$12.37 ₡5,562

-2.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 ₡27.8K

$62.4 ₡28.0K

-0.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 ₡5,287

$11.71 ₡5,262

0.43%

Cappuccino

$4.49 ₡2,020

$4.54 ₡2,039

-1.10%

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

$2.66 ₡1,195

$2.75 ₡1,237

-3.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₡860

$1.86 ₡837

2.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,504

$3.35 ₡1,505

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ₡1,952

$4.32 ₡1,944

0.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,100

$2.36 ₡1,060

3.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₡1,389

$3.07 ₡1,379

0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,124

$2.51 ₡1,127

-0.40%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,550

$3.53 ₡1,585

-2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 ₡4,803

$10.54 ₡4,737

1.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 ₡4,621

$10.57 ₡4,753

-2.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 ₡6,358

$13.92 ₡6,259

1.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₡2,322

$5.20 ₡2,337

-0.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.65 ₡740

-4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,452

$4.89 ₡2,197

-33.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 ₡1,350

$3.84 ₡1,727

-21.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,702

$3.91 ₡1,757

-3.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,675

$3.76 ₡1,691

-0.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ₡446

$1.12 ₡504

-11.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₡754

$3.22 ₡1,447

-47.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 ₡2,462

$6.02 ₡2,706

-8.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.92 ₡8,505

$19.84 ₡8,916

-4.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₡754

$2.81 ₡1,264

-40.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,245

$3.65 ₡1,643

-24.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 ₡471

$1.08 ₡487

-2.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 ₡922

$2.26 ₡1,018

-9.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 ₡834

$1.78 ₡799

4.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 ₡3,636

$7.90 ₡3,550

2.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₡664

$1.50 ₡672

-1.33%

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

$28.0K ₡12.6M

$33.5K ₡15.0M

-16.50%

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

$36.6K ₡16.4M

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-13.52%

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

$94.5 ₡42.5K

$93.2 ₡41.9K

1.44%

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

$29.94 ₡13.5K

$36.13 ₡16.2K

-17.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-3.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 ₡47.3K

$68.9 ₡31.0K

52.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.81 ₡4,411

$24.94 ₡11.2K

-60.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 ₡3,445

$7.67 ₡3,448

-0.13%

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

$458 ₡206.0K

$972 ₡436.8K

-52.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₡7.7M

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-8.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 ₡32.3K

$70.6 ₡31.7K

1.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-3.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.3K

$129 ₡57.8K

-0.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡59.6K

$131 ₡58.8K

1.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 ₡389.1K

$1,170 ₡525.7K

-25.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$848 ₡381.2K

$943 ₡424.0K

-10.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 ₡867.0K

$1,984 ₡891.7K

-2.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 ₡674.7K

$1,400 ₡629.4K

7.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,404 ₡630.9K

$2,681 ₡1.2M

-47.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$969 ₡435.8K

$2,037 ₡915.5K

-52.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,792 ₡805.4K

$987 ₡443.5K

81.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Escazu: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Escazu

$848 43.9%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 11.2% $95

Groceries & Markets

Escazu

$363 18.8%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 11% $40

Eating Out

Escazu

$229 11.9%

San Jose

$232 11% 1.3% $3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Escazu

$183 9.5%

San Jose

$190 9% 3.7% $6.8

Clothing & Footwear

Escazu

$174 9%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Escazu

$121 6.2%

San Jose

$84 4% 30.1% $36

Getting Around

Escazu

$16 * 0.8%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 420% $65

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 $866 in Escazu and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays 82% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Escazu vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $403 per month, with Escazu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Escazu

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

Same time as Escazu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,984

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Escazu San Jose 7 km

From you

Escazu
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

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

Escazu is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 82% higher in Escazu, 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: $866 in Escazu versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in San Jose. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Childcare runs $458 in Escazu versus $972 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Escazu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Escazu 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.