Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mayari and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Mayari: $1,510 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Mayari
Learn more

Mayari Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Mayari

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,510

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,510 in Mayari versus $2,107 in San Jose.

Mayari $1,510
San Jose $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,454 in Mayari versus $3,081 in San Jose.

Mayari $2,454
San Jose $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,398 in Mayari versus $4,054 in San Jose.

Mayari $3,398
San Jose $4,054

Living in Mayari costs roughly 28% less than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mayari 12% above, San Jose 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.06 CUP 145

$12.37 ₡5,563

-51.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.73 CUP 474

$62.4 ₡28.0K

-68.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.60 CUP 158

$11.71 ₡5,264

-43.64%

Cappuccino

$1.27 CUP 30.41

$4.54 ₡2,040

-72.03%

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

$2.24 CUP 53.8

$2.75 ₡1,238

-18.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CUP 30.43

$1.86 ₡837

-31.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 CUP 59.0

$3.35 ₡1,505

-26.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CUP 73.3

$4.32 ₡1,944

-29.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.92 CUP 70.1

$2.36 ₡1,061

23.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 CUP 18.34

$3.07 ₡1,379

-75.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 CUP 58.4

$2.51 ₡1,128

-3.19%

Eggs

$3.15 CUP 75.6

$3.53 ₡1,585

-10.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.85 CUP 140

$10.54 ₡4,738

-44.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.32 CUP 128

$10.57 ₡4,754

-49.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 CUP 285

$13.92 ₡6,261

-14.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 CUP 120

$5.20 ₡2,338

-3.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CUP 28.38

$1.65 ₡740

-28.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 CUP 33.17

$4.89 ₡2,198

-71.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 CUP 35.06

$3.84 ₡1,728

-61.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CUP 44.75

$3.91 ₡1,757

-52.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CUP 69.3

$3.76 ₡1,692

-23.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 CUP 23.35

$1.12 ₡504

-13.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CUP 26.02

$3.22 ₡1,447

-66.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 CUP 83.4

$6.02 ₡2,706

-42.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.87 CUP 237

$19.84 ₡8,919

-50.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CUP 40.87

$2.81 ₡1,264

-39.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 CUP 46.08

$3.65 ₡1,643

-47.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 CUP 4.43

$1.08 ₡487

-83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.20 CUP 485

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-69.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 CUP 53.2

$2.26 ₡1,018

-1.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 CUP 9.13

$1.78 ₡799

-78.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.82 CUP 476

$7.90 ₡3,551

150.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 CUP 30.59

$1.50 ₡673

-15.33%

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

$70.2K CUP 1.7M

$33.5K ₡15.1M

109.78%

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

$79.6K CUP 1.9M

$42.3K ₡19.0M

88.30%

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

$34.87 CUP 837

$93.2 ₡41.9K

-62.58%

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

$40.70 CUP 977

$36.13 ₡16.2K

12.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$252 CUP 6,056

$60.6 ₡27.2K

316.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.61 CUP 975

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-41.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.28 CUP 367

$24.94 ₡11.2K

-38.73%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.64

$7.67 ₡3,449

-87.22%

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

$117 CUP 2,816

$972 ₡436.9K

-87.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K CUP 425.9K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-5.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 CUP 1,303

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-23.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.60 CUP 950

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-30.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.37 CUP 1,065

$129 ₡57.8K

-65.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.18 CUP 1,180

$131 ₡58.8K

-62.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 CUP 5,049

$1,170 ₡525.9K

-82.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 CUP 16.1K

$943 ₡424.1K

-29.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 CUP 9,119

$1,984 ₡892.0K

-80.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,796 CUP 43.1K

$1,400 ₡629.5K

28.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$399 CUP 9,566

$2,681 ₡1.2M

-85.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$345 CUP 8,292

$2,037 ₡915.8K

-83.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$22.03 CUP 529

$987 ₡443.6K

-97.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

16.01%

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

Last update for Mayari: 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

Mayari

$670 44.4%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 40.8% $274

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mayari

$328 21.7%

San Jose

$190 9% 42.1% $138

Groceries & Markets

Mayari

$244 16.2%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 64.9% $158

Eating Out

Mayari

$116 7.7%

San Jose

$232 11% 101% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Mayari

$84 5.6%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 106% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Mayari

$43 2.8%

San Jose

$84 4% 97.9% $42

Getting Around

Mayari

$25 1.7%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 222% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $210 in Mayari and $1,170 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose pays about 45 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Mayari vs $62 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $403 per month, with Mayari cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Mayari

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

01:38 1:38 AM

00:38 12:38 AM

1 h behind Mayari

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,259

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇺 Cuban Peso ($)

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.94 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 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 CUP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mayari San Jose 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mayari
San Jose

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Mayari wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in San Jose. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mayari the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 98% lower in Mayari. 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: $210 in Mayari versus $1,170 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mayari – a meal for two runs $20 versus $62 in San Jose. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,510 per month in Mayari versus $2,107 in San Jose – Mayari is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Mayari is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Mayari gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.