Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Joliette and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Joliette: $1,717 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in Joliette
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Joliette Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Joliette

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,717

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,717 per month in Joliette vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Joliette $1,717
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $2,629 per month in Joliette vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Joliette $2,629
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $3,542 per month in Joliette vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Joliette $3,542
San Jose $4,054

Joliette is about 19% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Joliette and San Jose sit above the global median – Joliette by 27%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.60 CA$24.67

$12.37 ₡5,563

42.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 CA$75.4

$62.4 ₡28.0K

-13.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 CA$14.71

$11.71 ₡5,264

-10.33%

Cappuccino

$2.43 CA$3.41

$4.54 ₡2,040

-46.48%

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

$2.03 CA$2.84

$2.75 ₡1,238

-26.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.55

$1.86 ₡837

-2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.35 CA$6.09

$3.35 ₡1,505

29.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.35 CA$8.90

$4.32 ₡1,944

46.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 CA$3.34

$2.36 ₡1,061

0.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.58

$3.07 ₡1,379

-16.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 CA$4.23

$2.51 ₡1,128

19.92%

Eggs

$2.43 CA$3.41

$3.53 ₡1,585

-31.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 CA$16.41

$10.54 ₡4,738

11.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 CA$16.68

$10.57 ₡4,754

12.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.48 CA$25.91

$13.92 ₡6,261

32.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 CA$5.14

$5.20 ₡2,338

-29.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.84

$1.65 ₡740

-20.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.29

$4.89 ₡2,198

-22.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 CA$4.92

$3.84 ₡1,728

-8.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 CA$3.69

$3.91 ₡1,757

-32.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 CA$3.21

$3.76 ₡1,692

-39.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 CA$2.23

$1.12 ₡504

41.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.16

$3.22 ₡1,447

-52.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.45 CA$20.26

$6.02 ₡2,706

140.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.40 CA$17.38

$19.84 ₡8,919

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 CA$3.61

$2.81 ₡1,264

-8.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 CA$4.47

$3.65 ₡1,643

-12.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 CA$3.16

$1.08 ₡487

109.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.9 CA$86.8

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-5.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 CA$3.91

$2.26 ₡1,018

23.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.09

$1.78 ₡799

-16.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.92 CA$26.53

$7.90 ₡3,551

139.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 CA$1.39

$1.50 ₡673

-34.00%

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

$27.1K CA$38.0K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-18.98%

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

$22.5K CA$31.5K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-46.91%

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

$136 CA$191

$93.2 ₡41.9K

46.35%

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

$37.62 CA$52.7

$36.13 ₡16.2K

4.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CA$72.0

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-15.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.77 CA$53.0

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-45.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.01 CA$25.24

$24.94 ₡11.2K

-27.79%

Cinema Ticket

$13.01 CA$18.24

$7.67 ₡3,449

69.62%

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

$838 CA$1,175

$972 ₡436.9K

-13.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.5K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-14.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 CA$70.5

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-28.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.63 CA$52.7

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-33.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 CA$121

$129 ₡57.8K

-32.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 CA$137

$131 ₡58.8K

-25.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 CA$916

$1,170 ₡525.9K

-44.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 CA$857

$943 ₡424.1K

-35.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 CA$1,786

$1,984 ₡892.0K

-35.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 CA$1,518

$1,400 ₡629.5K

-22.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,419 CA$6,195

$2,681 ₡1.2M

64.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,567 CA$5,000

$2,037 ₡915.8K

75.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,735 CA$3,833

$987 ₡443.6K

177.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

8.62

-51.74%

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

Last update for Joliette: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Joliette

$611 35.6%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 54.3% $332

Groceries & Markets

Joliette

$361 21.1%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 11.4% $41

Eating Out

Joliette

$251 14.6%

San Jose

$232 11% 7.5% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Joliette

$225 13.1%

San Jose

$190 9% 15.7% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Joliette

$122 7.1%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 42.2% $52

Getting Around

Joliette

$81 4.7%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 0.6% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Joliette

$64 3.7%

San Jose

$84 4% 32.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $653 in Joliette 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 in Joliette are about 2.8 times higher, 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 $54 in Joliette versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $403 – making Joliette the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Joliette

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

06:27 6:27 AM

05:27 5:27 AM

1 h behind Joliette

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,484

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Joliette San Jose 4,140 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Joliette
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

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

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,575 per month in Joliette 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 Joliette, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $653 there versus $1,170 in San Jose.

Kindergarten costs $838 per month in Joliette and $972 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in San Jose, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,717 in Joliette and $2,107 in San Jose, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

For expats, Joliette is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 19% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.