Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Cambridge Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,280 in Cambridge Bay, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cambridge Bay outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge Bay
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Cambridge Bay Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Cambridge Bay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,280

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Cambridge Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,280 in Cambridge Bay.

San Jose $2,107
Cambridge Bay $2,280

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $3,269 in Cambridge Bay.

San Jose $3,081
Cambridge Bay $3,269

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $4,258 in Cambridge Bay.

San Jose $4,054
Cambridge Bay $4,258

Living in San Jose costs roughly 8% less than in Cambridge Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Cambridge Bay 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$22.30 CA$31.37

-44.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$63.4 CA$89.2

-1.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$10.54 CA$14.82

11.10%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$3.79 CA$5.33

19.79%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.08 CA$2.93

32.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.62 CA$2.28

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.15 CA$7.25

-34.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$5.60 CA$7.87

-22.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$2.12 CA$2.99

11.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.48 CA$3.49

23.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$3.51 CA$4.94

-28.49%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.42 CA$4.81

3.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$10.04 CA$14.12

4.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$11.39 CA$16.02

-7.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$14.79 CA$20.80

-5.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$3.89 CA$5.47

33.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.37 CA$1.92

20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$3.61 CA$5.08

35.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$3.93 CA$5.52

-2.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.41 CA$3.39

62.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.26 CA$3.18

66.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.39 CA$3.36

-53.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.58 CA$2.22

103.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$14.17 CA$19.93

-57.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$12.93 CA$18.18

53.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.80 CA$3.93

0.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.19 CA$4.49

14.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.35 CA$3.30

-54.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$62.7 CA$88.1

4.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$2.87 CA$4.03

-21.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.48 CA$2.09

20.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$23.95 CA$33.68

-67.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.18 CA$1.65

27.12%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$28.1K CA$39.6K

18.97%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$21.0K CA$29.5K

101.62%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$140 CA$197

-33.37%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$38.56 CA$54.2

-6.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$54.0 CA$75.9

12.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$37.08 CA$52.1

85.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$18.53 CA$26.06

34.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$10.51 CA$14.77

-27.02%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$644 CA$906

50.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$13.3K CA$18.7K

42.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$54.3 CA$76.4

30.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$38.98 CA$54.8

45.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$86.4 CA$121

48.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$102 CA$143

28.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,301 CA$1,830

-10.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,120 CA$1,575

-15.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$1,968 CA$2,767

0.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,647 CA$2,316

-14.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$4,314 CA$6,067

-37.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$3,537 CA$4,974

-42.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.68

84.19%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cambridge Bay: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Cambridge Bay

$1.1K 49.1% 18.7% $177

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Cambridge Bay

$353 15.5% 12.2% $49

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Cambridge Bay

$307 13.5% 32.2% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Cambridge Bay

$232 10.2% 22.4% $42

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Cambridge Bay

$127 5.6% 27.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Cambridge Bay

$58 2.6% 31.1% $26

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Cambridge Bay

$82 3.6% 2% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,301 in Cambridge Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $63 in Cambridge Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $353, with Cambridge Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Cambridge Bay

🕒 Local time

09:28 9:28 AM

08:28 8:28 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

1,800

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 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 = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Cambridge Bay 6,750 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Cambridge Bay

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 Cambridge Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $2,280 in Cambridge Bay, so San Jose is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,161 in San Jose and $3,420 in Cambridge Bay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,301 in Cambridge Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cambridge Bay pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,107 per month in San Jose versus $2,280 in Cambridge Bay – San Jose is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.