Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quesada and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Quesada: $1,680 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Quesada
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Quesada Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Quesada

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,680

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,680 per month in Quesada vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Quesada $1,680
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $2,668 per month in Quesada vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Quesada $2,668
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $3,656 per month in Quesada vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Quesada $3,656
San Jose $4,054

Quesada is about 20% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Quesada and San Jose sit above the global median – Quesada by 24%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.40 ₡5,576

$12.37 ₡5,564

0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 ₡27.8K

$62.4 ₡28.1K

-1.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 ₡5,204

$11.71 ₡5,265

-1.20%

Cappuccino

$4.57 ₡2,056

$4.54 ₡2,040

0.66%

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

$2.75 ₡1,236

$2.75 ₡1,238

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₡865

$1.86 ₡837

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 ₡1,471

$3.35 ₡1,506

-2.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 ₡1,119

$4.32 ₡1,945

-42.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 ₡1,084

$2.36 ₡1,061

2.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 ₡1,240

$3.07 ₡1,379

-10.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 ₡1,102

$2.51 ₡1,128

-2.39%

Eggs

$2.60 ₡1,171

$3.53 ₡1,585

-26.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 ₡4,802

$10.54 ₡4,739

1.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 ₡4,759

$10.57 ₡4,755

0.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 ₡6,228

$13.92 ₡6,262

-0.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 ₡2,333

$5.20 ₡2,338

-0.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₡718

$1.65 ₡741

-3.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 ₡505

$4.89 ₡2,198

-77.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 ₡1,719

$3.84 ₡1,728

-0.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,762

$3.91 ₡1,757

0.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.58 ₡1,611

$3.76 ₡1,692

-4.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.12 ₡505

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,448

$3.22 ₡1,447

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.79 ₡2,605

$6.02 ₡2,707

-3.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 ₡6,878

$19.84 ₡8,920

-22.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,254

$2.81 ₡1,265

-0.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 ₡1,608

$3.65 ₡1,644

-1.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ₡610

$1.08 ₡487

25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 ₡697

$2.26 ₡1,018

-31.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡735

$1.78 ₡799

-8.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.90 ₡4,003

$7.90 ₡3,552

12.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.50 ₡673

1.33%

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

$34.4K ₡15.5M

$33.5K ₡15.1M

2.77%

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

$41.9K ₡18.9M

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-0.85%

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

$96.0 ₡43.2K

$93.2 ₡41.9K

3.02%

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

$29.80 ₡13.4K

$36.13 ₡16.2K

-17.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 ₡24.9K

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-8.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 ₡30.8K

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-0.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.66 ₡7,491

$24.94 ₡11.2K

-33.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.35 ₡2,405

$7.67 ₡3,450

-30.25%

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

$253 ₡113.8K

$972 ₡437.0K

-73.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,284 ₡1.9M

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-77.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 ₡31.6K

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-0.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 ₡25.7K

$56.7 ₡25.5K

0.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.3K

$129 ₡57.8K

0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ₡50.3K

$131 ₡58.8K

-14.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.3K

$1,170 ₡525.9K

-30.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 ₡287.1K

$943 ₡424.2K

-32.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 ₡863.8K

$1,984 ₡892.1K

-3.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 ₡568.6K

$1,400 ₡629.6K

-9.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,128 ₡1.9M

$2,681 ₡1.2M

53.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,196 ₡987.4K

$2,037 ₡915.9K

7.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.7K

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 Quesada: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quesada

$638 38%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 47.7% $305

Groceries & Markets

Quesada

$371 22.1%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 8.5% $31

Eating Out

Quesada

$229 13.6%

San Jose

$232 11% 1.6% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quesada

$181 10.8%

San Jose

$190 9% 4.8% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Quesada

$166 9.9%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 4.8% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Quesada

$79 4.7%

San Jose

$84 4% 6.3% $5

Getting Around

Quesada

$15 * 0.9%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 433% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Quesada 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 $62 in Quesada versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $371 vs $403 – making Quesada the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Quesada

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

12:43 12:43 PM

Same time as Quesada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,000

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Quesada San Jose 58 km

From you

Quesada
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,680 in Quesada, $2,107 in San Jose – Quesada comes out roughly 20% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,520 per month in Quesada 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 Quesada, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,170 in San Jose.

Kindergarten costs $253 per month in Quesada and $972 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,680 in Quesada and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes Quesada about 20% cheaper.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,680 in Quesada and $2,107 in San Jose, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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