Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Providence and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,179 in New Providence, rent and utilities included – about $860 less a year. The total is higher in New Providence despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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New Providence

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$2,179

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,179 per month in New Providence vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

New Providence $2,179
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $5,251 per month in New Providence vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

New Providence $5,251
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $8,323 per month in New Providence vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

New Providence $8,323
San Jose $4,054

New Providence costs about 3% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New Providence and San Jose sit above the global median – New Providence by 61%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$75.2 BSD 75.2

$12.37 ₡5,563

508.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$152 BSD 152

$62.4 ₡28.0K

143.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

Cappuccino

$5.57 BSD 5.57

$4.54 ₡2,040

22.69%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 BSD 2.16

$2.36 ₡1,061

-8.47%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 BSD 4.90

$3.07 ₡1,379

59.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.85 BSD 4.85

$2.51 ₡1,128

93.23%

Eggs

$10.07 BSD 10.07

$3.53 ₡1,585

185.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.79 BSD 19.79

$10.54 ₡4,738

87.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.19 BSD 10.19

$10.57 ₡4,754

-3.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.32 BSD 20.32

$13.92 ₡6,261

45.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 BSD 4.53

$5.20 ₡2,338

-12.88%

Banana (1kg)

$6.17 BSD 6.17

$1.65 ₡740

273.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.90 BSD 6.90

$4.89 ₡2,198

41.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 BSD 3.91

$3.84 ₡1,728

1.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.99 BSD 3.99

$3.91 ₡1,757

2.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 BSD 2.93

$3.76 ₡1,692

-22.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.09 BSD 3.09

$1.12 ₡504

175.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 BSD 3.02

$3.22 ₡1,447

-6.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.89 BSD 14.89

$6.02 ₡2,706

147.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.50 BSD 25.50

$19.84 ₡8,919

28.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.72 BSD 3.72

$2.81 ₡1,264

32.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 BSD 4.06

$3.65 ₡1,643

11.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 BSD 1.81

$1.50 ₡673

20.67%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

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

$39.54 BSD 39.54

$36.13 ₡16.2K

9.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.9 BSD 99.9

$60.6 ₡27.2K

64.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.4 BSD 74.4

$68.9 ₡31.0K

7.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 BSD 15.11

$7.67 ₡3,449

97.00%

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

$1,503 BSD 1,503

$972 ₡436.9K

54.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K BSD 15.1K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-20.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 BSD 1,473

$1,170 ₡525.9K

25.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 BSD 714

$943 ₡424.1K

-24.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,422 BSD 4,422

$1,400 ₡629.5K

215.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for New Providence: 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

New Providence

–

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Groceries & Markets

New Providence

–

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Eating Out

New Providence

–

San Jose

$232 11%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Providence

–

San Jose

$190 9%

Clothing & Footwear

New Providence

–

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Sport & Entertainment

New Providence

–

San Jose

$84 4%

Getting Around

New Providence

–

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,473 in New Providence 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $152 in New Providence versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $553 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇸 New Providence

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

13:16 1:16 PM

12:16 12:16 PM

1 h behind New Providence

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

296,522

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BSD – Bahamian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇸 Bahamian Dollar ($)

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 0.89 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 BSD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New Providence San Jose 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New Providence
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

New Providence vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Providence costs about 3% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,269 per month in New Providence 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 San Jose, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,473 in New Providence.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,179 in New Providence and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes San Jose about 3% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,503 per month in New Providence and $972 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,179 in New Providence and $2,107 in San Jose, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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