Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Ambato

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $605 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
Learn more

Ambato Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Ambato

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $605 in Ambato, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Ambato $605

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $985 in Ambato, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Ambato $985

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $1,364 in Ambato, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Ambato $1,364

San Jose costs about 220% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Jose sits 44% above the global median, while Ambato is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,562

$3.46 $3.46

257.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$29.93 $29.93

103.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,145

$5.32 $5.32

115.23%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,971

$2.76 $2.76

59.06%

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

$2.70 ₡1,213

$0.82 $0.82

229.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡865

$0.75 $0.75

157.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,436

$1.96 $1.96

63.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,982

$3.22 $3.22

36.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,095

$0.98 $0.98

148.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,372

$0.98 $0.98

211.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,083

$1.57 $1.57

53.50%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,526

$1.73 $1.73

96.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,832

$5.42 $5.42

98.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,688

$3.05 $3.05

241.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,286

$3.93 $3.93

255.98%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,357

$1.27 $1.27

313.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡713

$0.88 $0.88

80.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,107

$1.03 $1.03

355.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,774

$1.03 $1.03

283.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,763

$0.77 $0.77

409.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,655

$0.99 $0.99

271.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.73 $0.73

53.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,432

$1.03 $1.03

209.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,697

$5.15 $5.15

16.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,788

$8.78 $8.78

122.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,266

$1.45 $1.45

94.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,614

$2.81 $2.81

27.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.29 $0.29

286.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$14.21 $14.21

370.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,121

$1.39 $1.39

79.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡734

$1.12 $1.12

45.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,819

$9.43 $9.43

-9.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$0.86 $0.86

81.40%

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

$22.4K ₡10.1M

$23.3K $23.3K

-3.96%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$28.1K $28.1K

26.42%

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

$95.2 ₡42.8K

$39.20 $39.20

142.91%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$13.58 $13.58

162.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$26.39 $26.39

122.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.7K

$29.76 $29.76

144.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,408

$4.39 $4.39

72.67%

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

$1,001 ₡449.9K

$224 $224

346.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$2,408 $2,408

611.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.7K

$48.25 $48.25

46.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$35.22 $35.22

58.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.3K

$71.2 $71.2

82.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$55.5 $55.5

135.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡416.6K

$178 $178

419.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.9K

$124 $124

523.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡883.7K

$380 $380

417.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡578.7K

$273 $273

372.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$1,130 $1,130

101.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡822.6K

$884 $884

107.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡456.7K

$679 $679

49.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-4.22%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ambato: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Ambato

$124 20.5% 84% $650

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Ambato

$147 24.3% 63.4% $254

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Ambato

$99 16.4% 56.7% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Ambato

$79 13.1% 58.2% $110

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Ambato

$95 15.6% 45.7% $80

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Ambato

$39 6.4% 56.1% $49

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Ambato

$22 3.7% 72.7% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $178 in Ambato. 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 50% 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 $61.0 in San Jose versus $30.00 in Ambato. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $147 – making Ambato the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇪🇨 Ambato

🕒 Local time

14:21 2:21 PM

15:21 3:21 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

165,185

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Ambato 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Ambato

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 Jose vs Ambato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose costs about 220% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $908 in Ambato. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose and $30.00 in Ambato. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,938 in San Jose and $605 in Ambato. That's a gap of about 220%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $605, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Ambato it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ambato costs $605 versus $1,938 in San Jose. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ambato. 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.