Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San José, Uruguay and Dublin

For one person, living is cheaper in San José: $918 a month against $3,690 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $33,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in San José
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San José Living Index
175

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
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Dublin Living Index

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San José

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$918

/mo nomad

Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,690

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San José and in Dublin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San José and in Dublin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $918 per month in San José vs $3,690 in Dublin, rent included.

San José $918
Dublin $3,690

A couple spends around $1,456 per month in San José vs $5,210 in Dublin, rent included.

San José $1,456
Dublin $5,210

A family of three spends $1,995 per month in San José vs $6,731 in Dublin, rent included.

San José $1,995
Dublin $6,731

San José is about 75% cheaper than Dublin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San José sits 32% below the global median, while Dublin is 173% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 UYU 535

$22.63 €20.25

-41.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.40 UYU 1,786

$100 €89.8

-55.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.94 UYU 561

$13.29 €11.89

4.89%

Cappuccino

$4.83 UYU 194

$5.00 €4.47

-3.40%

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

$2.28 UYU 91.9

$3.00 €2.68

-24.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 UYU 91.3

$2.28 €2.04

-0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 UYU 119

$7.85 €7.03

-62.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 UYU 145

$7.76 €6.94

-53.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 UYU 40.19

$1.60 €1.43

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 UYU 80.8

$2.44 €2.18

-17.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 UYU 58.6

$2.07 €1.85

-29.47%

Eggs

$2.57 UYU 103

$5.14 €4.60

-50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 UYU 479

$10.40 €9.31

14.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.35 UYU 296

$12.81 €11.47

-42.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.68 UYU 470

$16.20 €14.49

-27.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 UYU 48.70

$2.71 €2.42

-55.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 UYU 60.5

$2.20 €1.97

-31.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 UYU 49.38

$2.62 €2.35

-53.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 UYU 61.4

$5.23 €4.68

-70.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 UYU 39.14

$2.01 €1.80

-51.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 UYU 49.35

$1.54 €1.37

-20.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 UYU 62.9

$1.30 €1.16

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$2.02 €1.80

-2.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.18 UYU 409

$20.94 €18.74

-51.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 UYU 334

$13.66 €12.22

-39.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 UYU 122

$3.33 €2.98

-9.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 UYU 130

$3.43 €3.07

-5.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 €1.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 €97.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 UYU 142

$4.94 €4.42

-28.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 UYU 138

$1.50 €1.35

128.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.87 UYU 397

$33.17 €29.68

-70.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.4

$2.09 €1.87

6.22%

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

$35.4K UYU 1.4M

$39.0K €34.9K

-9.12%

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

$39.7K UYU 1.6M

$38.2K €34.2K

3.77%

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

$115 UYU 4,628

$279 €250

-58.76%

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

$23.51 UYU 946

$18.14 €16.24

29.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.19 UYU 1,898

$53.4 €47.80

-11.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.8 €58.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.29 €18.15

Cinema Ticket

$12.41 UYU 499

$15.42 €13.80

-19.52%

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

$498 UYU 20.0K

$1,260 €1,128

-60.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,594 UYU 265.2K

$11.7K €10.5K

-43.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 UYU 3,591

$109 €97.3

-17.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.39 UYU 1,504

$50.8 €45.45

-26.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$165 UYU 6,631

$112 €100

47.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 UYU 4,821

$130 €116

-7.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,463 €2,204

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 €1,977

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,258 €3,810

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,424 €3,064

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,503 €7,609

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,983 €5,354

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,741 €3,348

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

31.23%

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

Last update for San José: November 3, 2026

Last update for Dublin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

San José

$255 27.8%

Dublin

$366 9.9% 43.5% $111

Eating Out

San José

$246 26.9%

Dublin

$357 9.7% 44.8% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San José

$186 20.3%

Dublin

$351 9.5% 88.7% $165

Clothing & Footwear

San José

$185 20.2%

Dublin

$181 4.9% 2.4% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

San José

$25 * 2.7%

Dublin

$97 2.6% 289% $72

Getting Around

San José

$21 * 2.3%

Dublin

$130 3.5% 528% $109

Accommodation & Living

San José

- * 0%

Dublin

$2.2K 59.9%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in San José versus $100 in Dublin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $366 – making San José the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 San José

🇮🇪 Dublin

🕒 Local time

16:30 4:30 PM

19:30 7:30 PM

3 h ahead of San José

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,747

588,233 Capital

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 40.22 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 44.95 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.895 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San José Dublin 10,890 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

San José
Dublin

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

San José vs Dublin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $918 in San José, $3,690 in Dublin – San José comes out roughly 75% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,376 per month in San José and $5,535 in Dublin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $918 in San José and $3,690 in Dublin. That makes San José about 75% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $498 per month in San José and $1,260 in Dublin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $918 in San José and $3,690 in Dublin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Dublin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $918 in San José to $3,690 in Dublin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.