Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalupe, Costa Rica and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Guadalupe: $1,601 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Guadalupe
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Guadalupe Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Guadalupe

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,601

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,601 per month in Guadalupe vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Guadalupe $1,601
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $2,490 per month in Guadalupe vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Guadalupe $2,490
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $3,379 per month in Guadalupe vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Guadalupe $3,379
San Jose $4,054

Guadalupe is about 24% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Guadalupe and San Jose sit above the global median – Guadalupe by 18%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.11 ₡4,996

$12.37 ₡5,564

-10.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.87 ₡14.8K

$62.4 ₡28.1K

-47.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 ₡3,942

$11.71 ₡5,265

-25.11%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₡1,460

$4.54 ₡2,040

-28.41%

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

$2.15 ₡966

$2.75 ₡1,238

-21.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₡1,513

$3.35 ₡1,506

0.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,983

$4.32 ₡1,945

2.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₡973

$2.36 ₡1,061

-8.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ₡1,436

$3.07 ₡1,379

3.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,098

$2.51 ₡1,128

-2.79%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,566

$3.53 ₡1,585

-1.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 ₡4,319

$10.54 ₡4,739

-8.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 ₡4,472

$10.57 ₡4,755

-5.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 ₡6,223

$13.92 ₡6,262

-0.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.11 ₡2,299

$5.20 ₡2,338

-1.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ₡734

$1.65 ₡741

-1.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 ₡2,118

$4.89 ₡2,198

-3.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,695

$3.84 ₡1,728

-1.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,759

$3.91 ₡1,757

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,666

$3.76 ₡1,692

-1.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₡499

$1.12 ₡505

-0.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₡1,392

$3.22 ₡1,447

-4.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 ₡2,004

$6.02 ₡2,707

-25.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.12 ₡9,047

$19.84 ₡8,920

1.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₡1,241

$2.81 ₡1,265

-1.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 ₡1,611

$3.65 ₡1,644

-1.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ₡606

$1.08 ₡487

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ₡926

$2.26 ₡1,018

-8.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 ₡721

$1.78 ₡799

-10.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₡4,019

$7.90 ₡3,552

13.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₡637

$1.50 ₡673

-5.33%

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

$25.9K ₡11.6M

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-22.77%

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

$41.5K ₡18.7M

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-1.93%

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

$35.93 ₡16.2K

$93.2 ₡41.9K

-61.44%

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

$26.33 ₡11.8K

$36.13 ₡16.2K

-27.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 ₡24.4K

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-10.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 ₡30.1K

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-2.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 ₡3,510

$7.67 ₡3,450

1.69%

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

$990 ₡445.0K

$972 ₡437.0K

1.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.6M

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-10.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 ₡31.6K

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-0.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.98 ₡19.8K

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-22.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡59.0K

$129 ₡57.8K

1.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.4 ₡44.3K

$131 ₡58.8K

-24.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₡368.4K

$1,170 ₡525.9K

-29.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$644 ₡289.4K

$943 ₡424.2K

-31.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 ₡842.4K

$1,984 ₡892.1K

-5.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 ₡563.6K

$1,400 ₡629.6K

-10.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,232 ₡553.9K

$987 ₡443.7K

24.84%

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 Guadalupe: October 31, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guadalupe

$644 40.2%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 46.6% $300

Groceries & Markets

Guadalupe

$392 24.5%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 2.7% $10

Eating Out

Guadalupe

$196 12.2%

San Jose

$232 11% 18.7% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Guadalupe

$155 9.7%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 12.5% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guadalupe

$117 7.3%

San Jose

$190 9% 62.9% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Guadalupe

$83 5.2%

San Jose

$84 4% 2.1% $1.7

Getting Around

Guadalupe

$15 * 1%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 422% $65

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $819 in Guadalupe 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.

Salaries run about 25% higher in Guadalupe, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Guadalupe versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $403 – making Guadalupe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Guadalupe

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

12:56 12:56 PM

Same time as Guadalupe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,000

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Guadalupe San Jose 3 km

From you

Guadalupe
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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,601 in Guadalupe, $2,107 in San Jose – Guadalupe comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,401 per month in Guadalupe and $3,161 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guadalupe, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $819 there versus $1,170 in San Jose.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Guadalupe and $62 in San Jose. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in San Jose, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,601 in Guadalupe and $2,107 in San Jose, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,601 in Guadalupe to $2,107 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.