Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquitos and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $663 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$663

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $663 per month in Iquitos vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Iquitos $663
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $1,185 per month in Iquitos vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Iquitos $1,185
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $1,707 per month in Iquitos vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Iquitos $1,707
San Jose $3,934

Iquitos is about 66% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Iquitos sits 51% below the global median, while San Jose is 44% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.31 PEN 14.81

$12.38 ₡5,551

-65.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.44 PEN 132

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-36.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 PEN 25.06

$11.45 ₡5,135

-36.24%

Cappuccino

$3.57 PEN 12.26

$4.39 ₡1,967

-18.68%

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

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$2.70 ₡1,211

-68.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 PEN 1.91

$1.93 ₡864

-70.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 PEN 9.69

$3.20 ₡1,433

-11.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.41 PEN 25.45

$4.41 ₡1,979

68.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 PEN 6.05

$2.44 ₡1,093

-27.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 PEN 7.91

$3.05 ₡1,369

-24.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

Eggs

$2.56 PEN 8.80

$3.40 ₡1,523

-24.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 PEN 11.26

$10.43 ₡4,679

-68.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$3.19 ₡1,429

-72.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

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

$34.73 PEN 119

$95.2 ₡42.7K

-63.53%

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

$11.34 PEN 38.95

$35.58 ₡16.0K

-68.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.74 PEN 30.03

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-85.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.05 PEN 99.8

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-60.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.75 PEN 30.06

$24.85 ₡11.1K

-64.79%

Cinema Ticket

$5.64 PEN 19.37

$7.58 ₡3,401

-25.59%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,789 PEN 9,576

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-83.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 PEN 301

$70.5 ₡31.6K

24.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 PEN 121

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-36.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.9 PEN 182

$130 ₡58.2K

-59.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.21 PEN 90.0

$131 ₡58.7K

-79.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,180

$927 ₡415.8K

-62.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 PEN 909

$774 ₡347.2K

-65.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 PEN 3,029

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-55.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 PEN 2,445

$1,288 ₡577.6K

-44.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$573 PEN 1,968

$1,016 ₡455.8K

-43.62%

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 Iquitos: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iquitos

–

San Jose

$774 40%

Groceries & Markets

Iquitos

–

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Eating Out

Iquitos

–

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iquitos

–

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Iquitos

–

San Jose

$174 9%

Sport & Entertainment

Iquitos

–

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Getting Around

Iquitos

–

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $343 in Iquitos versus $927 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 77% higher in San Jose, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Iquitos versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $78.0 vs $401 – making Iquitos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

15:50 3:50 PM

1 h behind Iquitos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,853

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Iquitos San Jose 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Iquitos
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

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

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 192%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $994 per month in Iquitos and $2,907 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iquitos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 414% more in San Jose, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Iquitos and $61.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Iquitos, where all-in costs run around $663, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Iquitos it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iquitos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Iquitos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.