Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Bahia de Caraquez

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahia de Caraquez: $806 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Bahia de Caraquez
Learn more

Bahia de Caraquez Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Bahia de Caraquez

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Bahia de Caraquez

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 Bahia de Caraquez actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $806 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Bahia de Caraquez $806

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $1,384 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Bahia de Caraquez $1,384

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $1,963 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Bahia de Caraquez $1,963

San Jose costs about 141% more than Bahia de Caraquez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Jose sits 44% above the global median, while Bahia de Caraquez is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$3.96 $3.96

212.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$51.6 $51.6

17.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$9.16 $9.16

25.00%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$2.81 $2.81

56.23%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$0.93 $0.93

190.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$0.75 $0.75

157.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$2.97 $2.97

7.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$4.22 $4.22

4.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.20 $1.20

103.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$1.98 $1.98

54.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$1.41 $1.41

70.92%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$2.08 $2.08

63.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$7.07 $7.07

52.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$5.11 $5.11

104.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$9.05 $9.05

54.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$1.47 $1.47

257.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.16 $1.16

37.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$0.97 $0.97

383.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$0.96 $0.96

311.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$1.22 $1.22

221.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$0.98 $0.98

275.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.87 $0.87

28.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$0.99 $0.99

222.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$6.11 $6.11

-1.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$12.08 $12.08

61.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.57 $1.57

79.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$2.12 $2.12

69.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.37 $0.37

202.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$16.54 $16.54

303.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$1.39 $1.39

79.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.79 $1.79

-8.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$12.18 $12.18

-30.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.83 $0.83

87.95%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$20.6K $20.6K

8.59%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$31.6K $31.6K

12.59%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$39.59 $39.59

140.52%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$15.13 $15.13

135.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$26.61 $26.61

120.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$29.01 $29.01

150.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$17.11 $17.11

45.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$7.54 $7.54

0.53%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$369 $369

171.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$5,654 $5,654

203.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$65.7 $65.7

7.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$40.86 $40.86

36.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$125 $125

3.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$92.6 $92.6

41.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$261 $261

254.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$183 $183

322.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$765 $765

156.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$439 $439

193.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$1,253 $1,253

81.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$791 $791

131.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.05

-14.23%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bahia de Caraquez: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Bahia de Caraquez

$183 22.7% 76.4% $591

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Bahia de Caraquez

$200 24.8% 50.1% $201

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Bahia de Caraquez

$123 15.3% 46.4% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Bahia de Caraquez

$81 10.1% 57.1% $108

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Bahia de Caraquez

$146 18.1% 16.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Bahia de Caraquez

$44 5.5% 49.8% $44

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Bahia de Caraquez

$28 3.5% 65.4% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $261 in Bahia de Caraquez. 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 $61.0 in San Jose versus $52.0 in Bahia de Caraquez. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $200 – making Bahia de Caraquez the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇪🇨 Bahia de Caraquez

🕒 Local time

17:08 5:08 PM

18:08 6:08 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

24,963

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Bahia de Caraquez 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Bahia de Caraquez

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 Bahia de Caraquez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,938 in San Jose, $806 in Bahia de Caraquez – roughly 141% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $1,208 in Bahia de Caraquez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,001 per month in San Jose and $369 in Bahia de Caraquez. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 101% more in San Jose, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bahia de Caraquez, where all-in costs run around $806, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Bahia de Caraquez it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bahia de Caraquez has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $806 in Bahia de Caraquez to $1,938 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Bahia de Caraquez. 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.