Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Campbell River

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,373 in Campbell River, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Campbell River outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Campbell River
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Campbell River Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Campbell River

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,373

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Campbell River

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,373 in Campbell River.

San Jose $1,938
Campbell River $2,373

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,936 in San Jose versus $3,457 in Campbell River.

San Jose $2,936
Campbell River $3,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,934 in San Jose versus $4,540 in Campbell River.

San Jose $3,934
Campbell River $4,540

Living in San Jose costs roughly 18% less than in Campbell River, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 44% above, Campbell River 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$18.99 CA$26.85

-34.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$69.8 CA$98.6

-12.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$10.58 CA$14.95

8.22%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$4.12 CA$5.83

6.55%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$2.22 CA$3.14

21.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$0.97 CA$1.37

98.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$5.59 CA$7.90

-42.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$6.32 CA$8.93

-30.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$2.67 CA$3.78

-8.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$3.02 CA$4.27

0.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$3.93 CA$5.56

-38.68%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$4.01 CA$5.67

-15.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$8.13 CA$11.49

32.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$9.34 CA$13.20

11.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$14.42 CA$20.39

-2.98%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$3.20 CA$4.52

64.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.39 CA$1.96

14.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$3.47 CA$4.91

35.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$3.43 CA$4.85

15.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$3.39 CA$4.80

15.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$2.86 CA$4.04

28.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$3.15 CA$4.45

-64.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$2.50 CA$3.54

27.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$14.43 CA$20.40

-58.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$17.38 CA$24.57

12.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$3.92 CA$5.54

-28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$3.52 CA$4.98

1.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.43 CA$2.01

-21.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.73 CA$3.87

-8.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.61 CA$2.28

1.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$34.41 CA$48.64

-75.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.26 CA$1.79

23.81%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$27.2K CA$38.5K

-17.63%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$18.4K CA$26.0K

93.84%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$52.3 CA$73.9

82.20%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$44.43 CA$62.8

-19.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$62.3 CA$88.0

-5.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$45.21 CA$63.9

60.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$10.40 CA$14.70

-27.12%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$894 CA$1,264

11.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$23.0K CA$32.5K

-25.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$43.33 CA$61.3

62.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$44.94 CA$63.5

24.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$69.1 CA$97.7

87.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$88.3 CA$125

48.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$1,456 CA$2,058

-36.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$1,357 CA$1,918

-42.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$2,204 CA$3,115

-10.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$2,148 CA$3,036

-40.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$2,283 CA$3,228

-55.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.31

100.00%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Campbell River: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Campbell River

$1.4K 57.2% 75.2% $582

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Campbell River

$378 15.9% 5.7% $23

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Campbell River

$286 12.1% 24.9% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Campbell River

$159 6.7% 16.1% $30

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Campbell River

$111 4.7% 36.5% $64

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Campbell River

$66 2.8% 24.9% $22

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Campbell River

$16 * 0.7% 79.9% $65

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in San Jose and $1,456 in Campbell River. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Campbell River pays 125% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in San Jose vs $70.0 in Campbell River. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $378, with Campbell River cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Campbell River

🕒 Local time

14:23 2:23 PM

13:23 1:23 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

36,455

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Campbell River 5,840 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Campbell River

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 Campbell River: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Campbell River. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 125% lower in Campbell River. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $927 in San Jose versus $1,456 in Campbell River. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Campbell River pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,938 per month in San Jose versus $2,373 in Campbell River – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,373 in Campbell River, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Campbell River. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,938 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Campbell River. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.