Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Escazu and San Ramon

For one person, living is cheaper in San Ramon: $1,739 a month against $1,934 in Escazu, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Escazu, Costa Rica
San Ramon, Costa Rica
Escazu
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,934
/mo nomad
San Ramon
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,739
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Escazu and in San Ramon

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 Ramon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,934 in Escazu versus $1,739 in San Ramon.

  • Escazu $1,934
  • San Ramon $1,739

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,959 in Escazu versus $2,736 in San Ramon.

  • Escazu $2,959
  • San Ramon $2,736

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,984 in Escazu versus $3,733 in San Ramon.

  • Escazu $3,984
  • San Ramon $3,733

Living in Escazu is roughly 11% more expensive than in San Ramon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Escazu 43% above, San Ramon 29% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Escazu
San Ramon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.06 ₡5,423
$12.12 ₡5,448
-0.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.8 ₡27.8K
$57.5 ₡25.8K
7.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.76 ₡5,287
$11.65 ₡5,237
0.94%
Cappuccino
$4.49 ₡2,020
$4.11 ₡1,849
9.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,195
$2.65 ₡1,191
0.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.91 ₡860
$1.84 ₡829
3.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.35 ₡1,504
$3.22 ₡1,450
4.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.34 ₡1,952
$4.47 ₡2,010
-2.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Escazu
San Ramon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.45 ₡1,100
$2.39 ₡1,076
2.51%
White Bread (500g)
$3.09 ₡1,389
$2.94 ₡1,321
5.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.50 ₡1,124
$2.53 ₡1,138
-1.19%
Eggs
$3.45 ₡1,550
$5.03 ₡2,260
-31.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.68 ₡4,803
$10.90 ₡4,899
-2.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.28 ₡4,621
$10.51 ₡4,722
-2.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.14 ₡6,358
$13.89 ₡6,245
1.80%
Apples (1kg)
$5.16 ₡2,322
$4.97 ₡2,235
3.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 ₡704
$1.56 ₡703
0.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.23 ₡1,452
$3.39 ₡1,526
-4.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.00 ₡1,350
$3.40 ₡1,527
-11.76%
Potato (1kg)
$3.79 ₡1,702
$3.14 ₡1,412
20.70%
Onion (1kg)
$3.73 ₡1,675
$3.22 ₡1,450
15.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 ₡446
$1.24 ₡559
-20.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₡754
$2.66 ₡1,196
-36.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 ₡2,462
$5.83 ₡2,622
-6.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.92 ₡8,505
$16.18 ₡7,272
16.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₡754
$2.61 ₡1,172
-35.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 ₡1,245
$2.75 ₡1,237
0.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Escazu
San Ramon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.05 ₡471
$1.30 ₡584
-19.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.05 ₡922
$2.50 ₡1,123
-18.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.86 ₡834
$1.55 ₡696
20.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.09 ₡3,636
$8.76 ₡3,936
-7.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ₡664
$1.50 ₡673
-1.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K ₡12.6M
$33.9K ₡15.2M
-17.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.6K ₡16.4M
$41.2K ₡18.5M
-11.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Escazu
San Ramon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$94.5 ₡42.5K
$145 ₡65.2K
-34.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.94 ₡13.5K
$43.72 ₡19.7K
-31.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.6 ₡26.3K
$53.0 ₡23.8K
10.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Escazu
San Ramon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$105 ₡47.3K
$68.4 ₡30.7K
53.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.81 ₡4,411
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.66 ₡3,445
$7.91 ₡3,558
-3.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Escazu
San Ramon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$458 ₡206.0K
$850 ₡382.1K
-46.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.2K ₡7.7M
$17.4K ₡7.8M
-0.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Escazu
San Ramon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.8 ₡32.3K
$70.8 ₡31.8K
1.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.9 ₡24.7K
$55.7 ₡25.0K
-1.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 ₡57.3K
$128 ₡57.6K
-0.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 ₡59.6K
$129 ₡58.2K
2.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Escazu
San Ramon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$866 ₡389.1K
$804 ₡361.5K
7.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$848 ₡381.2K
$621 ₡279.3K
36.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,929 ₡867.0K
$1,930 ₡867.7K
-0.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,501 ₡674.7K
$1,261 ₡567.0K
18.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,404 ₡630.9K
$1,159 ₡521.1K
21.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$969 ₡435.8K
$1,165 ₡523.5K
-16.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Escazu
San Ramon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,792 ₡805.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
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 Ramon: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Escazu
$848
San Ramon
$621 26.7% $227
Groceries & Markets
Escazu
$363
San Ramon
$379 4.4% $16
Eating Out
Escazu
$229
San Ramon
$224 2.2% $5.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Escazu
$183
San Ramon
$242 32.1% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Escazu
$174
San Ramon
$173 0.7% $1.2
Sport & Entertainment
Escazu
$121
San Ramon
$84 30.2% $36
Getting Around
Escazu
$16 *
San Ramon
$15 * 0.6% $0.1

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 $804 in San Ramon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Escazu vs $57 in San Ramon. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $379, with Escazu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Escazu
🇨🇷 San Ramon
🕒 Local time
07:09 7:09 AM
07:09 7:09 AM
Same time as Escazu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,984
10,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Escazu San Ramon 41 km
From you
  • Escazu
  • San Ramon

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 Ramon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Ramon cheaper than Escazu?
San Ramon is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $2,900 in Escazu and $2,608 in San Ramon 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.
What is the rent difference between Escazu and San Ramon?
Rent for a central apartment: $866 in Escazu versus $804 in San Ramon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Escazu and in San Ramon?
Shoppers in Escazu pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
What are total monthly expenses in Escazu and in San Ramon?
All in, you’ll spend $1,934 per month in Escazu versus $1,739 in San Ramon – San Ramon is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $3,000 enough for either Escazu or San Ramon?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though San Ramon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Escazu or in San Ramon?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Escazu or San Ramon?
Safety-wise, Escazu and San Ramon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Escazu vs other spots: cost of living compared

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