Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Miraflores and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Miraflores: $1,118 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Miraflores
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Miraflores Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Miraflores

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,118

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,118 per month in Miraflores vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Miraflores $1,118
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $1,239 per month in Miraflores vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Miraflores $1,239
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $1,360 per month in Miraflores vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Miraflores $1,360
San Jose $3,934

Miraflores is about 42% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Miraflores sits 17% below the global median, while San Jose is 44% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.29 PEN 14.74

$12.38 ₡5,551

-65.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.43 PEN 122

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-41.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 PEN 18.25

$11.45 ₡5,135

-53.54%

Cappuccino

$3.27 PEN 11.23

$4.39 ₡1,967

-25.51%

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

$1.11 PEN 3.80

$2.70 ₡1,211

-58.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.24

$1.93 ₡864

-66.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 PEN 8.83

$3.20 ₡1,433

-19.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 PEN 15.36

$4.41 ₡1,979

1.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 PEN 4.59

$2.44 ₡1,093

-45.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 PEN 4.03

$3.05 ₡1,369

-61.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.48

$2.41 ₡1,081

-46.06%

Eggs

$2.84 PEN 9.77

$3.40 ₡1,523

-16.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 PEN 30.84

$10.75 ₡4,823

-16.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.78 PEN 19.87

$10.43 ₡4,679

-44.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.88 PEN 33.93

$13.99 ₡6,273

-29.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 PEN 7.10

$5.25 ₡2,353

-60.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.50

$1.59 ₡712

-35.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 PEN 4.84

$4.69 ₡2,103

-69.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 4.04

$3.95 ₡1,770

-70.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.02

$3.92 ₡1,760

-77.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.04

$3.68 ₡1,651

-75.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 PEN 2.84

$1.12 ₡503

-25.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.09

$3.19 ₡1,429

-80.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.67 PEN 19.48

$6.00 ₡2,692

-5.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.65 PEN 29.70

$19.56 ₡8,771

-55.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 PEN 6.11

$2.82 ₡1,263

-36.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 PEN 9.84

$3.59 ₡1,611

-20.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

$1.12 ₡503

-73.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.08

$2.50 ₡1,119

52.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 PEN 7.03

$1.63 ₡733

25.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 PEN 25.04

$8.50 ₡3,812

-14.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PEN 4.56

$1.56 ₡701

-14.74%

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

$22.1K PEN 76.0K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

-1.26%

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

$25.4K PEN 87.1K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-28.70%

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

$58.9 PEN 202

$95.2 ₡42.7K

-38.12%

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

$8.92 PEN 30.65

$35.58 ₡16.0K

-74.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.50 PEN 94.5

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-53.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.26 PEN 121

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-51.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 PEN 24.99

$7.58 ₡3,401

-3.96%

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

$175 PEN 603

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-82.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K PEN 45.0K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-23.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 PEN 182

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-24.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.27 PEN 121

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-36.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 PEN 287

$130 ₡58.2K

-35.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 PEN 274

$131 ₡58.7K

-38.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 PEN 2,275

$927 ₡415.8K

-28.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 PEN 1,800

$774 ₡347.2K

-32.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 PEN 5,481

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-18.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,507 PEN 8,609

$2,274 ₡1.0M

10.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

8.62

3.71%

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

Last update for Miraflores: 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

Miraflores

$524 46.9%

San Jose

$774 40% 47.7% $250

Groceries & Markets

Miraflores

$202 18.1%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 98.4% $199

Eating Out

Miraflores

$118 10.6%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 93.7% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Miraflores

$113 10.1%

San Jose

$174 9% 53.6% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Miraflores

$95 8.5%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 98.7% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Miraflores

$50 4.5%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 76.3% $38

Getting Around

Miraflores

$15 * 1.4%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 437% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $662 in Miraflores 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Miraflores versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $401 – making Miraflores the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Miraflores

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

08:56 8:56 AM

07:56 7:56 AM

1 h behind Miraflores

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

99,337

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

Miraflores San Jose 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Miraflores
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

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

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,678 per month in Miraflores 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 Miraflores, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Miraflores and $61.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 98% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Miraflores, where all-in costs run around $1,118, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Miraflores it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Miraflores. 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.