Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Cartagena

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartagena: $1,292 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Cartagena
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Cartagena Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,292

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $1,292 in Cartagena, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Cartagena $1,292

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $2,165 in Cartagena, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Cartagena $2,165

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $3,039 in Cartagena, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Cartagena $3,039

San Jose costs about 50% more than Cartagena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

San Jose sits 44% above the global median, while Cartagena is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$5.87 COP 18.6K

110.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$143 COP 453.5K

-57.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$10.37 COP 32.9K

10.41%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$4.26 COP 13.5K

3.05%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$2.54 COP 8,063

6.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$2.36 COP 7,478

-18.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$3.26 COP 10.3K

-1.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$4.96 COP 15.7K

-11.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.91 COP 6,053

27.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$2.74 COP 8,692

11.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$1.45 COP 4,610

66.21%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$5.06 COP 16.0K

-32.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$13.13 COP 41.6K

-18.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$17.37 COP 55.1K

-39.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.99 COP 6,304

60.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$14.64 COP 46.4K

33.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.40 COP 4,436

101.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.25 COP 3,972

-10.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$58.4 COP 185.2K

14.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$4.74 COP 15.0K

-47.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$3.68 COP 11.7K

-55.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$9.49 COP 30.1K

-10.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.34 COP 4,251

16.42%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$23.4K COP 74.1M

-4.12%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$34.4K COP 109.2M

3.32%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$78.4 COP 248.6K

21.42%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$91.7 COP 290.8K

-20.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$8.02 COP 25.4K

-5.49%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$630 COP 2.0M

58.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$5,818 COP 18.4M

194.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$1,035 COP 3.3M

-10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$585 COP 1.9M

32.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$2,287 COP 7.3M

-14.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$944 COP 3.0M

36.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$924 COP 2.9M

98.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$467 COP 1.5M

117.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-42.53%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Cartagena

$585 45.3% 24.4% $189

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Cartagena

$259 * 20% 35.4% $142

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Cartagena

$175 13.5% 23.7% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Cartagena

$78 * 6.1% 58.6% $111

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Cartagena

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Cartagena

$108 8.3% 22.7% $20

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Cartagena

$87 6.7% 5.6% $4.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $1,035 in Cartagena. 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 118% 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 $143 in Cartagena. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in San Jose vs $259 in Cartagena – so Cartagena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🕒 Local time

08:09 8:09 AM

09:09 9:09 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

1,028,736

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Cartagena 940 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Cartagena

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 Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose costs about 50% more than Cartagena, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $1,938 in Cartagena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cartagena, 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 $630 in Cartagena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 55% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cartagena, where all-in costs run around $1,292, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Cartagena 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. Cartagena costs $1,292 versus $1,938 in San Jose. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Cartagena. 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.