Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaco Beach and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaco Beach: $1,445 a month against $2,105 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Jaco Beach
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Jaco Beach Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Jaco Beach

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,445

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,105

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,445 in Jaco Beach versus $2,105 in San Jose.

Jaco Beach $1,445
San Jose $2,105

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,296 in Jaco Beach versus $3,074 in San Jose.

Jaco Beach $2,296
San Jose $3,074

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,147 in Jaco Beach versus $4,043 in San Jose.

Jaco Beach $3,147
San Jose $4,043

Living in Jaco Beach costs roughly 31% less than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jaco Beach 6% above, San Jose 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.32 ₡5,106

$12.43 ₡5,609

-8.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.14 ₡19.5K

$60.9 ₡27.5K

-29.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 ₡4,612

$11.72 ₡5,288

-12.80%

Cappuccino

$3.99 ₡1,799

$4.47 ₡2,019

-10.74%

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

$2.40 ₡1,085

$2.75 ₡1,241

-12.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₡844

$1.92 ₡867

-2.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 ₡1,441

$3.26 ₡1,470

-2.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₡1,954

$4.45 ₡2,009

-2.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 ₡892

$2.36 ₡1,063

-16.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 ₡989

$3.09 ₡1,393

-29.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,078

$2.40 ₡1,083

-0.42%

Eggs

$2.60 ₡1,175

$3.44 ₡1,553

-24.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 ₡4,865

$10.73 ₡4,841

0.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 ₡4,008

$10.36 ₡4,674

-14.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 ₡5,466

$13.84 ₡6,243

-12.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 ₡2,233

$5.15 ₡2,323

-3.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₡748

$1.65 ₡746

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.75 ₡2,141

$4.67 ₡2,109

1.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 ₡1,544

$3.98 ₡1,798

-14.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 ₡676

$3.90 ₡1,761

-61.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ₡641

$3.65 ₡1,647

-61.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ₡447

$1.08 ₡487

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₡900

$3.10 ₡1,398

-35.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.01 ₡2,711

$6.08 ₡2,745

-1.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 ₡6,231

$20.05 ₡9,047

-31.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₡1,192

$2.77 ₡1,252

-4.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₡985

$3.69 ₡1,666

-40.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 ₡30.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,125

$2.49 ₡1,122

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡735

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.53 ₡3,848

$8.47 ₡3,821

0.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.57 ₡708

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

$33.9K ₡15.3M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-1.97%

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

$42.6K ₡19.2M

$42.3K ₡19.1M

0.67%

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

$79.6 ₡35.9K

$93.2 ₡42.0K

-14.60%

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

$23.88 ₡10.8K

$36.05 ₡16.3K

-33.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.69 ₡21.5K

$59.1 ₡26.7K

-19.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 ₡23.4K

$69.0 ₡31.1K

-24.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.80 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,483

$7.85 ₡3,543

-1.66%

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

$479 ₡216.3K

$996 ₡449.4K

-51.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,442 ₡3.4M

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-56.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.50 ₡11.5K

$70.1 ₡31.6K

-63.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 ₡25.4K

$55.2 ₡24.9K

1.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.3K

$130 ₡58.5K

-2.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡59.8K

$131 ₡59.2K

1.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 ₡337.6K

$1,164 ₡525.2K

-35.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₡237.2K

$945 ₡426.4K

-44.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡895.4K

$1,993 ₡899.4K

-0.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 ₡495.8K

$1,404 ₡633.4K

-21.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,727 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,040 ₡920.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$402 ₡181.3K

$1,011 ₡456.1K

-60.25%

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 Jaco Beach: October 25, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jaco Beach

$526 36.4%

San Jose

$945 44.9% 79.8% $419

Groceries & Markets

Jaco Beach

$326 22.6%

San Jose

$399 19% 22.5% $73

Eating Out

Jaco Beach

$211 14.6%

San Jose

$232 11% 10.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Jaco Beach

$154 10.6%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 13.2% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jaco Beach

$151 10.5%

San Jose

$188 9% 24.6% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Jaco Beach

$67 4.7%

San Jose

$85 4% 25.7% $17

Getting Around

Jaco Beach

$11 * 0.7%

San Jose

$82 3.9% 669% $71

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 $748 in Jaco Beach and $1,164 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Jaco Beach vs $61 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $399 per month, with Jaco Beach cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Jaco Beach

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

07:05 7:05 AM

Same time as Jaco Beach

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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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Between locations

Jaco Beach San Jose 69 km

From you

Jaco Beach
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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

Jaco Beach vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jaco Beach is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Jaco Beach. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $748 in Jaco Beach versus $1,164 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $479 in Jaco Beach versus $996 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 Jaco Beach – a meal for two runs $43 versus $61 in San Jose. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

For families, Jaco Beach is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in San Jose, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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