Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Freeport and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,691 in Freeport, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Freeport
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Freeport Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Freeport

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$2,691

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,691 in Freeport versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Freeport $2,691
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,341 in Freeport versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Freeport $4,341
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,991 in Freeport versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Freeport $5,991
San Jose $4,054

Living in Freeport is roughly 28% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Freeport 99% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$47.66 BSD 47.66

$12.37 ₡5,563

285.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 BSD 101

$62.4 ₡28.0K

61.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.36 BSD 12.36

$11.71 ₡5,264

5.55%

Cappuccino

$6.82 BSD 6.82

$4.54 ₡2,040

50.22%

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

$3.26 BSD 3.26

$2.75 ₡1,238

18.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 BSD 2.89

$1.86 ₡837

55.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 BSD 4.87

$3.35 ₡1,505

45.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 BSD 6.87

$4.32 ₡1,944

59.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 BSD 2.35

$2.36 ₡1,061

-0.42%

White Bread (500g)

$5.39 BSD 5.39

$3.07 ₡1,379

75.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.38 BSD 8.38

$2.51 ₡1,128

233.86%

Eggs

$8.82 BSD 8.82

$3.53 ₡1,585

149.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.58 BSD 16.58

$10.54 ₡4,738

57.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.22 BSD 7.22

$10.57 ₡4,754

-31.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 BSD 14.10

$13.92 ₡6,261

1.29%

Apples (1kg)

$10.20 BSD 10.20

$5.20 ₡2,338

96.15%

Banana (1kg)

$4.18 BSD 4.18

$1.65 ₡740

153.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.20 BSD 10.20

$4.89 ₡2,198

108.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$12.56 BSD 12.56

$3.84 ₡1,728

227.08%

Potato (1kg)

$4.55 BSD 4.55

$3.91 ₡1,757

16.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 BSD 2.57

$3.76 ₡1,692

-31.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.21 BSD 4.21

$1.12 ₡504

275.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 BSD 3.32

$3.22 ₡1,447

3.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.06 BSD 15.06

$6.02 ₡2,706

150.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.34 BSD 20.34

$19.84 ₡8,919

2.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 BSD 4.54

$3.65 ₡1,643

24.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 BSD 1.82

$1.08 ₡487

68.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 BSD 2.93

$2.26 ₡1,018

29.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 BSD 2.93

$1.78 ₡799

64.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$101 BSD 101

$7.90 ₡3,551

1181.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 BSD 1.60

$1.50 ₡673

6.67%

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

$37.3K BSD 37.3K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

11.50%

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

$35.0K BSD 35.0K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-17.28%

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

$277 BSD 277

$93.2 ₡41.9K

196.93%

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

$63.4 BSD 63.4

$36.13 ₡16.2K

75.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 BSD 67.1

$60.6 ₡27.2K

10.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 BSD 54.7

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-20.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.9 BSD 53.9

$24.94 ₡11.2K

116.16%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 BSD 17.70

$7.67 ₡3,449

130.77%

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

$573 BSD 573

$972 ₡436.9K

-41.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,518 BSD 8,518

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-54.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.70 BSD 49.70

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-29.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 BSD 93.5

$129 ₡57.8K

-27.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 BSD 69.4

$131 ₡58.8K

-46.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 BSD 1,001

$1,170 ₡525.9K

-14.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 BSD 931

$943 ₡424.1K

-1.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,225 BSD 2,225

$1,984 ₡892.0K

12.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 BSD 1,988

$1,400 ₡629.5K

41.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,273 BSD 4,273

$2,681 ₡1.2M

59.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,341 BSD 3,341

$2,037 ₡915.8K

64.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,546 BSD 1,546

$987 ₡443.6K

56.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.72

8.62

47.56%

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

Last update for Freeport: November 3, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Freeport

$931 34.6%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 1.3% $12

Groceries & Markets

Freeport

$579 * 21.5%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 30.5% $177

Eating Out

Freeport

$563 20.9%

San Jose

$232 11% 58.7% $331

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Freeport

$407 15.1%

San Jose

$190 9% 53.4% $217

Clothing & Footwear

Freeport

$96 * 3.6%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 82% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Freeport

$90 3.4%

San Jose

$84 4% 6.4% $5.8

Getting Around

Freeport

$25 * 0.9%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 224% $56

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 $1,001 in Freeport and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Freeport pays 57% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Freeport vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $579 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇸 Freeport

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

00:22 12:22 AM

1 h behind Freeport

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,945

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.891 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BSD – Bahamian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇸 Bahamian Dollar ($)

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 0.891 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BSD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Freeport San Jose 1,930 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Freeport
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,691 in Freeport and $2,107 in San Jose, so San Jose is about 22% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 57% higher in Freeport, 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: $1,001 in Freeport versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $573 in Freeport versus $972 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 San Jose – a meal for two runs $62 versus $101 in Freeport. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,691 in Freeport, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Freeport. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Freeport on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.