Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $1,949 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $979 per month in Quito vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Quito $979
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $1,607 per month in Quito vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Quito $1,607
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $2,234 per month in Quito vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Quito $2,234
San Jose $3,857

Quito is about 50% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Quito sits 27% below the global median, while San Jose is 45% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 $6.14

$12.22 ₡5,510

-49.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 $53.9

$60.1 ₡27.1K

-10.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 $7.81

$11.77 ₡5,305

-33.64%

Cappuccino

$3.42 $3.42

$4.30 ₡1,939

-20.47%

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

$1.44 $1.44

$2.72 ₡1,226

-47.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.84 ₡830

-38.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.28 ₡1,480

6.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$4.36 ₡1,966

35.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.38 ₡1,074

-52.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.12 ₡1,408

-50.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.41 ₡1,086

-37.34%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$3.47 ₡1,564

-37.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$10.57 ₡4,767

-39.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$10.56 ₡4,758

-48.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$13.75 ₡6,196

-43.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$5.04 ₡2,274

-53.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.61 ₡727

-22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$4.59 ₡2,069

-71.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$3.84 ₡1,731

-70.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$3.77 ₡1,700

-67.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$3.76 ₡1,693

-72.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.12 ₡506

-16.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$3.20 ₡1,441

-67.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 $6.02

$5.84 ₡2,632

3.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.93 $9.93

$19.73 ₡8,897

-49.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.75 ₡1,240

-42.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.66 ₡1,650

-15.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$1.12 ₡503

-66.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 $20.95

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-67.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.46 ₡1,110

-37.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.54 ₡692

-0.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$8.46 ₡3,815

18.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.55 ₡699

-43.87%

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

$21.0K $21.0K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

-3.31%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-18.13%

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

$28.97 $28.97

$94.7 ₡42.7K

-69.40%

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

$17.57 $17.57

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-49.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.14 $28.14

$58.6 ₡26.4K

-51.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.48 $46.48

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-35.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.70 $17.70

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-29.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 $6.38

$7.83 ₡3,532

-18.52%

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

$746 $746

$971 ₡437.9K

-23.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,015 $9,015

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-46.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 $68.8

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-3.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-8.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$129 ₡58.2K

-8.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$133 ₡60.0K

-18.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 $478

$934 ₡420.9K

-48.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 $313

$770 ₡347.2K

-59.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 $967

$1,945 ₡876.7K

-50.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 $549

$1,316 ₡593.5K

-58.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,763 $1,763

$2,277 ₡1.0M

-22.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$720 $720

$1,795 ₡809.1K

-59.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 $597

$1,006 ₡453.5K

-40.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

8.62

17.40%

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

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$313 31.8%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 146% $457

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.1%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 102% $201

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$156 15.8%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 12.4% $19

Eating Out

Quito

$153 15.5%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 49% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.6%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 152% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 48.3% $29

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 152% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $478 in Quito versus $934 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.

Salaries run about 69% higher in San Jose, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Quito versus $60.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $399 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

22:46 10:46 PM

21:46 9:46 PM

1 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quito San Jose 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
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

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

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 99%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,468 per month in Quito and $2,924 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 211% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $746 per month in Quito and $971 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $979, than in San Jose at $1,949. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Quito. 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.