Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grand Falls-Windsor and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,446 in Grand Falls-Windsor, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Grand Falls-Windsor outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Grand Falls-Windsor, Canada
San Jose, Costa Rica
Grand Falls-Windsor
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,446
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,107
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,446 per month in Grand Falls-Windsor vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Grand Falls-Windsor $2,446
  • San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in Grand Falls-Windsor vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Grand Falls-Windsor $3,274
  • San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $4,102 per month in Grand Falls-Windsor vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

  • Grand Falls-Windsor $4,102
  • San Jose $4,054

Grand Falls-Windsor costs about 16% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Grand Falls-Windsor and San Jose sit above the global median – Grand Falls-Windsor by 81%, San Jose by 56%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Grand Falls-Windsor
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.10 CA$25.45
$12.37 ₡5,563
46.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.1 CA$100.0
$62.4 ₡28.0K
13.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.99 CA$16.86
$11.71 ₡5,264
2.39%
Cappuccino
$3.75 CA$5.27
$4.54 ₡2,040
-17.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.12
$2.75 ₡1,238
-19.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 CA$2.61
$1.86 ₡837
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.60 CA$7.88
$3.35 ₡1,505
67.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.14 CA$8.64
$4.32 ₡1,944
42.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Grand Falls-Windsor
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.83 CA$2.57
$2.36 ₡1,061
-22.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.63 CA$3.70
$3.07 ₡1,379
-14.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.68 CA$5.18
$2.51 ₡1,128
46.61%
Eggs
$3.75 CA$5.27
$3.53 ₡1,585
6.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.15 CA$15.68
$10.54 ₡4,738
5.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.85 CA$15.25
$10.57 ₡4,754
2.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.15 CA$22.71
$13.92 ₡6,261
16.02%
Apples (1kg)
$4.34 CA$6.11
$5.20 ₡2,338
-16.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 CA$1.92
$1.65 ₡740
-16.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.27 CA$4.59
$4.89 ₡2,198
-33.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.76 CA$5.29
$3.84 ₡1,728
-2.08%
Potato (1kg)
$2.37 CA$3.34
$3.91 ₡1,757
-39.39%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 CA$3.14
$3.76 ₡1,692
-40.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.36 CA$3.32
$1.12 ₡504
110.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 CA$2.48
$3.22 ₡1,447
-45.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.97 CA$22.46
$6.02 ₡2,706
165.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.88 CA$18.11
$19.84 ₡8,919
-35.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.58 CA$3.63
$2.81 ₡1,264
-8.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 CA$4.49
$3.65 ₡1,643
-12.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Grand Falls-Windsor
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.60 CA$3.65
$1.08 ₡487
140.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$68.5 CA$96.4
$65.2 ₡29.3K
5.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.92 CA$4.10
$2.26 ₡1,018
29.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.69 CA$2.38
$1.78 ₡799
-5.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.55 CA$38.75
$7.90 ₡3,551
248.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.23 CA$1.73
$1.50 ₡673
-18.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K CA$38.7K
$33.5K ₡15.1M
-17.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.8K CA$26.5K
$42.3K ₡19.0M
-55.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Grand Falls-Windsor
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 CA$191
$93.2 ₡41.9K
45.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.93 CA$53.4
$36.13 ₡16.2K
4.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.0 CA$81.6
$60.6 ₡27.2K
-4.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Grand Falls-Windsor
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.80 CA$48.94
$68.9 ₡31.0K
-49.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.67 CA$23.45
$24.94 ₡11.2K
-33.16%
Cinema Ticket
$11.59 CA$16.30
$7.67 ₡3,449
51.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Grand Falls-Windsor
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$713 CA$1,003
$972 ₡436.9K
-26.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K CA$17.7K
$18.9K ₡8.5M
-33.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Grand Falls-Windsor
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.4 CA$80.8
$70.6 ₡31.8K
-18.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.70 CA$50.2
$56.7 ₡25.5K
-37.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.9 CA$115
$129 ₡57.8K
-36.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 CA$151
$131 ₡58.8K
-17.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Grand Falls-Windsor
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,239 CA$1,742
$1,170 ₡525.9K
5.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,297 CA$1,824
$943 ₡424.1K
37.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,975 CA$2,777
$1,984 ₡892.0K
-0.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,485 CA$2,088
$1,400 ₡629.5K
6.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,640 CA$6,525
$2,681 ₡1.2M
73.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,168 CA$4,455
$2,037 ₡915.8K
55.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Grand Falls-Windsor
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$987 ₡443.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.68
8.62
-45.71%

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

Last update for Grand Falls-Windsor: 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
Grand Falls-Windsor
$1.3K
San Jose
$943 27.3% $354
Groceries & Markets
Grand Falls-Windsor
$359
San Jose
$403 12% $43
Eating Out
Grand Falls-Windsor
$282
San Jose
$232 17.7% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Grand Falls-Windsor
$231
San Jose
$190 18% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Grand Falls-Windsor
$127
San Jose
$174 36.9% $47
Getting Around
Grand Falls-Windsor
$90
San Jose
$81 10.6% $9.6
Sport & Entertainment
Grand Falls-Windsor
$58
San Jose
$84 45.3% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,239 in Grand Falls-Windsor versus $1,170 in San Jose. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Grand Falls-Windsor versus $62 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $359 in Grand Falls-Windsor vs $403 in San Jose – so Grand Falls-Windsor wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Grand Falls-Windsor
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
16:05 4:05 PM
13:35 1:35 PM
2 h 30 min behind Grand Falls-Windsor
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
13,725
342,188 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Grand Falls-Windsor San Jose 5,080 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Grand Falls-Windsor
  • 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
Grand Falls-Windsor vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Jose cheaper than Grand Falls-Windsor?
Yes – Grand Falls-Windsor is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,669 per month in Grand Falls-Windsor and $3,161 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Grand Falls-Windsor and San Jose?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,239 in Grand Falls-Windsor and $1,170 in San Jose. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 5% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $713 per month in Grand Falls-Windsor and $972 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is it better to live in Grand Falls-Windsor or in San Jose?
It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,446 in Grand Falls-Windsor. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Grand Falls-Windsor vs other spots: cost of living compared

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