Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Brossard

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,516 in Brossard, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Brossard
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Brossard Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Brossard

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Brossard actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,516 in Brossard, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Brossard $2,516

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,401 in Brossard, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Brossard $3,401

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,286 in Brossard, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Brossard $4,286

San Jose is about 16% cheaper than Brossard, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Jose and Brossard sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Brossard by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$18.87 CA$26.45

-34.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$71.2 CA$99.8

-12.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$10.67 CA$14.95

9.75%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$3.94 CA$5.52

15.23%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$1.99 CA$2.79

38.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.61 CA$2.26

15.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.82 CA$8.15

-42.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$5.78 CA$8.11

-25.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$2.23 CA$3.13

5.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.79 CA$3.91

10.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$3.67 CA$5.15

-31.61%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.51 CA$4.92

0.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$8.80 CA$12.34

19.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$11.72 CA$16.43

-9.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$12.22 CA$17.13

13.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$3.52 CA$4.93

47.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.52 CA$2.13

8.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$3.38 CA$4.74

44.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$3.16 CA$4.43

21.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$1.89 CA$2.66

106.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$1.86 CA$2.61

102.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.42 CA$3.39

-53.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.50 CA$2.10

114.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$14.49 CA$20.31

-58.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$10.70 CA$14.99

85.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.29 CA$3.22

22.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.95 CA$4.14

23.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$3.15 CA$4.41

-65.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$187 CA$262

-65.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.01 CA$4.21

-24.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.44 CA$2.02

23.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$33.27 CA$46.64

-76.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.35 CA$1.89

11.11%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$27.6K CA$38.8K

21.07%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$21.8K CA$30.6K

93.99%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$99.1 CA$139

-5.99%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$35.80 CA$50.2

0.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$44.92 CA$63.0

34.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$20.46 CA$28.68

236.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$11.03 CA$15.46

-30.46%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$692 CA$970

40.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$6,076 CA$8,517

210.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$58.8 CA$82.4

20.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$38.20 CA$53.5

48.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$90.6 CA$127

42.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$110 CA$154

18.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$969 CA$1,359

20.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,332 CA$1,868

-29.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$1,749 CA$2,452

13.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,566 CA$2,196

-10.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$2,536 CA$3,555

5.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,110 CA$2,957

-3.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$2,646 CA$3,709

-62.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.51

91.13%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Brossard: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Brossard

$1.3K 53% 41.3% $389

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Brossard

$332 13.2% 17.4% $70

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Brossard

$285 11.3% 22.7% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Brossard

$180 7.2% 5.3% $10

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Brossard

$134 5.3% 23% $40

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Brossard

$43 1.7% 49.5% $42

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Brossard

$210 8.3% 160% $129

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $969 in Brossard. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Brossard are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $71 in Brossard. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $332 in Brossard – so Brossard wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Brossard

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

05:08 5:08 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

91,525

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Brossard 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Brossard

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 Brossard: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,107 in San Jose, $2,516 in Brossard – San Jose comes out roughly 16% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,774 in Brossard. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brossard, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $969 there versus $1,170 in San Jose.

Public transport costs about 65% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $972 per month in San Jose and $692 in Brossard. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Brossard at $2,516. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brossard it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,516 in Brossard. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brossard makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.