Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montanita and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Montanita: $903 a month against $1,949 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Montanita
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Montanita Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Montanita

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$903

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $903 in Montanita versus $1,949 in San Jose.

Montanita $903
San Jose $1,949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,360 in Montanita versus $2,903 in San Jose.

Montanita $1,360
San Jose $2,903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,817 in Montanita versus $3,857 in San Jose.

Montanita $1,817
San Jose $3,857

Living in Montanita costs roughly 54% less than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montanita is 33% below, San Jose is 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 $3.40

$12.22 ₡5,499

-72.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.19 $28.19

$60.1 ₡27.0K

-53.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 $7.27

$11.77 ₡5,293

-38.23%

Cappuccino

$2.42 $2.42

$4.30 ₡1,934

-43.72%

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

$0.84 $0.84

$2.72 ₡1,223

-69.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 $0.66

$1.84 ₡828

-64.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.28 ₡1,477

-38.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$4.36 ₡1,962

-22.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.38 ₡1,072

-54.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 $1.63

$3.12 ₡1,405

-47.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.41 ₡1,084

-37.76%

Eggs

$2.11 $2.11

$3.47 ₡1,561

-39.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$10.57 ₡4,757

-47.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$10.56 ₡4,748

-46.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$13.75 ₡6,183

-55.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$5.04 ₡2,269

-58.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.61 ₡726

-27.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 $1.05

$4.59 ₡2,064

-77.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 $1.04

$3.84 ₡1,727

-72.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$3.77 ₡1,697

-62.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$3.76 ₡1,689

-72.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 $0.49

$1.12 ₡505

-56.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$3.20 ₡1,438

-68.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 $5.87

$5.84 ₡2,627

0.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 $10.02

$19.73 ₡8,878

-49.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.75 ₡1,238

-46.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.66 ₡1,646

-33.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$1.12 ₡502

-70.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.80 $23.80

$65.1 ₡29.3K

-63.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.46 ₡1,108

-39.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.54 ₡691

-33.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.46 ₡3,807

19.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 $0.62

$1.55 ₡698

-60.00%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

13.24%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-19.03%

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

$39.94 $39.94

$94.7 ₡42.6K

-57.82%

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

$13.91 $13.91

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-60.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.23 $31.23

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-46.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.41 $30.41

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-57.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.55 $14.55

$25.19 ₡11.3K

-42.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 $7.21

$7.83 ₡3,524

-7.92%

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

$253 $253

$971 ₡437.0K

-73.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,665 $5,665

$17.0K ₡7.6M

-66.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 $56.5

$71.6 ₡32.2K

-20.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.23 $43.23

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-21.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$129 ₡58.0K

-22.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 $75.1

$133 ₡59.9K

-43.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 $336

$934 ₡420.0K

-63.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 $315

$770 ₡346.5K

-59.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$628 $628

$1,945 ₡874.9K

-67.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 $494

$1,316 ₡592.2K

-62.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,236 $1,236

$2,277 ₡1.0M

-45.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,015 $1,015

$1,795 ₡807.4K

-43.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡452.5K

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 Montanita: October 5, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montanita

$315 35.6%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 144% $455

Groceries & Markets

Montanita

$184 20.8%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 116% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Montanita

$124 14%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 41.3% $51

Eating Out

Montanita

$101 11.4%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 126% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montanita

$85 9.6%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 121% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Montanita

$45 5.1%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 95.9% $43

Getting Around

Montanita

$32 3.6%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 151% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $336 in Montanita and $934 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $28.00 in Montanita vs $60.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $399 per month, with Montanita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Montanita

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

02:51 2:51 AM

01:51 1:51 AM

1 h behind Montanita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 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

Montanita San Jose 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montanita
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

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

Montanita is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 116% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,355 in Montanita and $2,924 in San Jose to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $336 in Montanita versus $934 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $253 in Montanita versus $971 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 116% higher in San Jose. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $903 in Montanita versus $1,949 in San Jose, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Montanita but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Montanita the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montanita 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 Montanita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.