Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Cayo Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Cayo Coco: $1,223 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Cayo Coco
Learn more

Cayo Coco Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Cayo Coco

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Cayo Coco

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $1,223 in Cayo Coco.

San Jose $2,107
Cayo Coco $1,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $1,683 in Cayo Coco.

San Jose $3,081
Cayo Coco $1,683

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $2,143 in Cayo Coco.

San Jose $4,054
Cayo Coco $2,143

Living in San Jose is roughly 72% more expensive than in Cayo Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Jose is 56% above, Cayo Coco is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$4.96 CUP 119

149.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$15.04 CUP 361

314.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$6.81 CUP 163

71.95%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$1.03 CUP 24.62

340.78%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.01 CUP 48.36

36.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.02 CUP 24.45

82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$1.98 CUP 47.60

69.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$3.01 CUP 72.3

43.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$2.98 CUP 71.6

-20.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$0.97 CUP 23.30

216.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$2.01 CUP 48.25

24.88%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.51 CUP 84.2

0.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$6.13 CUP 147

71.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$5.07 CUP 122

108.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$10.17 CUP 244

36.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$4.88 CUP 117

6.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$0.98 CUP 23.51

68.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$0.99 CUP 23.71

393.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$1.02 CUP 24.57

276.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$1.01 CUP 24.28

287.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.98 CUP 71.6

26.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.97 CUP 23.34

15.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.01 CUP 24.29

218.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$2.97 CUP 71.4

102.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$10.17 CUP 244

95.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.98 CUP 47.45

41.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.02 CUP 48.47

80.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$20.30 CUP 487

221.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$1.03 CUP 24.70

119.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$0.99 CUP 23.73

79.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$19.80 CUP 475

-60.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$0.98 CUP 23.60

53.06%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$69.9K CUP 1.7M

-52.12%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$79.4K CUP 1.9M

-46.70%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$40.32 CUP 968

131.13%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$40.02 CUP 960

-9.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$217 CUP 5,205

-72.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$39.89 CUP 957

72.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$9.93 CUP 238

151.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$1.01 CUP 24.34

659.41%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$91.3 CUP 2,192

963.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$14.7K CUP 354.0K

27.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$40.24 CUP 966

75.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$29.70 CUP 713

90.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$73.8 CUP 1,770

74.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$78.7 CUP 1,888

66.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$404 CUP 9,704

189.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$423 CUP 10.2K

123.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$1,060 CUP 25.4K

87.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$622 CUP 14.9K

125.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$298 CUP 7,147

800.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$346 CUP 8,295

489.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$20.39 CUP 489

4738.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-13.80%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Cayo Coco

$423 34.6% 55.2% $520

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Cayo Coco

$234 19.2% 41.8% $168

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Cayo Coco

$101 8.2% 56.7% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Cayo Coco

$297 24.3% 56.5% $107

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Cayo Coco

$100 8.2% 42.5% $74

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Cayo Coco

$42 3.4% 50.3% $42

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Cayo Coco

$26 * 2.2% 67.4% $54

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 $1,170 in San Jose and $404 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose pays about 48 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $15 in Cayo Coco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $234 per month, with Cayo Coco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇺 Cayo Coco

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

00:09 12:09 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, 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).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.94 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Cayo Coco 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Cayo Coco

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 Cayo Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cayo Coco wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in San Jose. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cayo Coco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in San Jose is about 48 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,170 in San Jose versus $404 in Cayo Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cayo Coco runs roughly 69% less than in San Jose. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $972 in San Jose versus $91 in Cayo Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Cayo Coco is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Cayo Coco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.