Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guanacaste and San Ramon

For one person, living is cheaper in Guanacaste: $1,534 a month against $1,729 in San Ramon, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Guanacaste
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Guanacaste Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in San Ramon
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San Ramon Living Index

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Guanacaste

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,534

/mo nomad

San Ramon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,534 per month in Guanacaste vs $1,729 in San Ramon, rent included.

Guanacaste $1,534
San Ramon $1,729

A couple spends around $2,421 per month in Guanacaste vs $2,722 in San Ramon, rent included.

Guanacaste $2,421
San Ramon $2,722

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Guanacaste vs $3,715 in San Ramon, rent included.

Guanacaste $3,307
San Ramon $3,715

Guanacaste is about 11% cheaper than San Ramon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Guanacaste and San Ramon sit above the global median – Guanacaste by 13%, San Ramon by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.77 ₡4,862

$12.18 ₡5,500

-11.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.69 ₡21.5K

$61.9 ₡27.9K

-22.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 ₡5,272

$11.69 ₡5,276

-0.09%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡2,004

$3.82 ₡1,726

16.23%

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

$2.70 ₡1,221

$2.21 ₡996

22.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡871

$1.96 ₡884

-1.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 ₡1,399

$3.01 ₡1,357

2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,020

$4.71 ₡2,126

-5.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₡922

$2.39 ₡1,077

-14.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ₡1,440

$3.04 ₡1,371

4.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.53 ₡1,141

-4.35%

Eggs

$3.59 ₡1,619

$5.07 ₡2,288

-29.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.63 ₡2,544

$10.78 ₡4,869

-47.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 ₡1,943

$10.31 ₡4,654

-58.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ₡5,007

$14.28 ₡6,446

-22.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ₡1,210

$4.99 ₡2,253

-46.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡709

$1.55 ₡700

1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 ₡1,989

$3.26 ₡1,471

34.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₡689

$3.42 ₡1,546

-55.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.86 ₡1,745

$3.19 ₡1,442

21.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 ₡1,017

$3.22 ₡1,452

-30.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₡406

$1.21 ₡547

-25.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₡1,386

$2.74 ₡1,236

12.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 ₡1,959

$5.56 ₡2,511

-21.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.25 ₡9,144

$16.31 ₡7,362

24.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,262

$2.56 ₡1,154

9.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,202

$2.73 ₡1,234

-2.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ₡584

$1.30 ₡587

-0.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,128

$2.45 ₡1,108

2.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.57 ₡708

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.85 ₡3,997

$8.87 ₡4,005

-0.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡709

$1.55 ₡700

1.29%

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

$33.7K ₡15.2M

$34.5K ₡15.6M

-2.28%

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

$41.3K ₡18.6M

$41.3K ₡18.7M

-0.18%

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

$93.5 ₡42.2K

$144 ₡65.2K

-35.25%

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

$36.18 ₡16.3K

$44.11 ₡19.9K

-17.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.69 ₡14.8K

$53.9 ₡24.3K

-39.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.5 ₡30.0K

$59.0 ₡26.6K

12.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ₡3,544

$7.81 ₡3,526

0.51%

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

$968 ₡437.0K

$843 ₡380.8K

14.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K ₡7.9M

$17.0K ₡7.7M

2.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.5 ₡30.0K

$70.5 ₡31.8K

-5.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.53 ₡20.1K

$55.3 ₡24.9K

-19.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 ₡39.1K

$129 ₡58.1K

-32.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 ₡35.3K

$125 ₡56.5K

-37.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 ₡359.0K

$816 ₡368.5K

-2.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 ₡279.8K

$626 ₡282.5K

-0.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 ₡857.1K

$1,903 ₡859.0K

-0.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 ₡577.4K

$1,249 ₡563.9K

2.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,145 ₡516.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,156 ₡521.7K

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 Guanacaste: October 25, 2026

Last update for San Ramon: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guanacaste

$620 40.4%

San Ramon

$626 36.2% 1% $5.9

Groceries & Markets

Guanacaste

$312 20.4%

San Ramon

$380 22% 21.7% $68

Eating Out

Guanacaste

$217 14.2%

San Ramon

$220 12.7% 1% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guanacaste

$162 10.6%

San Ramon

$242 14% 49.3% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Guanacaste

$124 8.1%

San Ramon

$171 9.9% 37.6% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Guanacaste

$82 5.4%

San Ramon

$75 4.3% 9.1% $7.5

Getting Around

Guanacaste

$16 * 1%

San Ramon

$16 * 0.9% 0% $0

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $795 in Guanacaste versus $816 in San Ramon. 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 $48 in Guanacaste versus $62 in San Ramon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $312 vs $380 – making Guanacaste the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Guanacaste

🇨🇷 San Ramon

🕒 Local time

22:54 10:54 PM

Same time as Guanacaste

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,823

10,000

💱 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

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Between locations

Guanacaste San Ramon 100 km

From you

Guanacaste
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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

Guanacaste vs San Ramon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Ramon is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,301 per month in Guanacaste and $2,593 in San Ramon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $795 in Guanacaste and $816 in San Ramon. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,534 in Guanacaste and $1,729 in San Ramon. That makes Guanacaste about 11% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $968 per month in Guanacaste and $843 in San Ramon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,534 in Guanacaste and $1,729 in San Ramon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Guanacaste has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,534 in Guanacaste to $1,729 in San Ramon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.