Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manta and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $678 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Manta
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Manta Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Manta

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$678

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $678 in Manta versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Manta $678
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,157 in Manta versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Manta $1,157
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,636 in Manta versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Manta $1,636
San Jose $3,934

Living in Manta costs roughly 65% less than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manta is 50% below, San Jose is 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 $2.96

$12.38 ₡5,551

-76.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 $52.2

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-14.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.39 $5.39

$11.45 ₡5,135

-52.93%

Cappuccino

$2.92 $2.92

$4.39 ₡1,967

-33.49%

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

$0.52 $0.52

$2.70 ₡1,211

-80.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 $0.38

$1.93 ₡864

-80.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.20 ₡1,433

-7.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.41 ₡1,979

-15.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.44 ₡1,093

-57.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 $1.91

$3.05 ₡1,369

-37.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.41 ₡1,081

-59.34%

Eggs

$2.13 $2.13

$3.40 ₡1,523

-37.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$10.75 ₡4,823

-72.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$10.43 ₡4,679

-71.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$13.99 ₡6,273

-51.18%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$5.25 ₡2,353

-81.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.59 ₡712

-50.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 $0.71

$4.69 ₡2,103

-84.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 $0.78

$3.95 ₡1,770

-80.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$3.92 ₡1,760

-86.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$3.68 ₡1,651

-86.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 $0.69

$1.12 ₡503

-38.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$3.19 ₡1,429

-68.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 $4.08

$6.00 ₡2,692

-32.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$19.56 ₡8,771

-64.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.82 ₡1,263

-63.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.59 ₡1,611

-38.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 $0.50

$1.12 ₡503

-55.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.50 ₡1,119

-32.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.63 ₡733

6.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.27 $9.27

$8.50 ₡3,812

9.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.56 ₡701

-53.85%

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

$20.7K $20.7K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

-7.77%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-13.45%

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

$97.1 $97.1

$95.2 ₡42.7K

2.01%

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

$11.13 $11.13

$35.58 ₡16.0K

-68.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.84 $25.84

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-55.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.23 $20.23

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-72.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$24.85 ₡11.1K

39.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 $4.89

$7.58 ₡3,401

-35.49%

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

$369 $369

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-63.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,783 $5,783

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-66.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 $55.2

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-21.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 $40.87

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-26.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$130 ₡58.2K

-22.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.8 $61.8

$131 ₡58.7K

-52.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 $303

$927 ₡415.8K

-67.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 $141

$774 ₡347.2K

-81.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 $917

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-53.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 $334

$1,288 ₡577.6K

-74.05%

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)

$474 $474

$1,016 ₡455.8K

-53.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

8.62

16.59%

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

Last update for Manta: October 10, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Manta

$143 21.1%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 181% $258

Accommodation & Living

Manta

$141 20.9%

San Jose

$774 40% 448% $633

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manta

$134 19.8%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 41.3% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Manta

$116 17.2%

San Jose

$174 9% 49.6% $58

Eating Out

Manta

$101 14.9%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 128% $129

Sport & Entertainment

Manta

$30 4.4%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 193% $58

Getting Around

Manta

$12 * 1.8%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 562% $70

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 $303 in Manta and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose pays 115% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Manta vs $61.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $143 vs $401 per month, with Manta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Manta

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

20:38 8:38 PM

19:38 7:38 PM

1 h behind Manta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,553

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Manta San Jose 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Manta
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

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

Manta is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 186% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 115% lower in San Jose. 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: $303 in Manta versus $927 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $369 in Manta versus $1,001 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 Manta – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $61.0 in San Jose. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $678 in Manta versus $1,938 in San Jose, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manta but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Manta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manta 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.

Expats usually find Manta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 186% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.