Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Cerro de Pasco

For one person, living is cheaper in Cerro de Pasco: $555 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Cerro de Pasco
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Cerro de Pasco Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Cerro de Pasco

🇵🇪 Peru

$555

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Cerro de Pasco

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 Cerro de Pasco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $555 in Cerro de Pasco, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Cerro de Pasco $555

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $891 in Cerro de Pasco, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Cerro de Pasco $891

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $1,227 in Cerro de Pasco, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Cerro de Pasco $1,227

San Jose costs about 249% more than Cerro de Pasco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Jose sits 44% above the global median, while Cerro de Pasco is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$2.83 PEN 9.70

337.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$29.34 PEN 101

107.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$6.74 PEN 23.16

69.88%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$2.05 PEN 7.03

114.15%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$0.76 PEN 2.61

255.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$0.45 PEN 1.55

328.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$2.69 PEN 9.22

18.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$4.44 PEN 15.27

-0.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.52 PEN 5.23

60.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$2.35 PEN 8.07

29.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$1.26 PEN 4.34

91.27%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$2.47 PEN 8.47

37.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$9.18 PEN 31.53

17.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$6.04 PEN 20.74

72.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$7.92 PEN 27.20

76.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$2.00 PEN 6.86

162.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$0.76 PEN 2.61

109.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$0.43 PEN 1.46

990.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$1.14 PEN 3.91

246.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$0.70 PEN 2.41

460.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$0.54 PEN 1.87

581.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.83 PEN 2.85

34.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$0.84 PEN 2.88

279.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$5.78 PEN 19.84

3.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$7.19 PEN 24.68

172.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.92 PEN 6.60

46.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$2.65 PEN 9.11

35.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$3.98 PEN 13.68

-37.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.99 PEN 6.84

-18.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$7.46 PEN 25.62

13.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.67 PEN 5.74

-6.59%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$22.2K PEN 76.4K

0.72%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$26.2K PEN 89.9K

35.96%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$72.8 PEN 250

30.74%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$16.46 PEN 56.5

116.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$27.53 PEN 94.6

112.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$7.15 PEN 24.56

6.01%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$176 PEN 606

467.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$12.9K PEN 44.4K

32.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$53.3 PEN 183

32.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$35.36 PEN 121

57.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$83.2 PEN 286

56.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$77.6 PEN 267

68.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$408 PEN 1,400

382.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

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

$470 PEN 1,616

116.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.94

-3.58%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cerro de Pasco: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Cerro de Pasco

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Cerro de Pasco

$203 36.6% 49.4% $198

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Cerro de Pasco

$95 17% 58.8% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Cerro de Pasco

$117 21.1% 38.3% $73

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Cerro de Pasco

$112 20.2% 35.5% $62

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Cerro de Pasco

$14 * 2.6% 83.7% $74

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Cerro de Pasco

$14 * 2.5% 83% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 116% 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 $29.00 in Cerro de Pasco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $203 – making Cerro de Pasco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇵🇪 Cerro de Pasco

🕒 Local time

15:10 3:10 PM

16:10 4:10 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

58,899

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Cerro de Pasco 2,450 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Cerro de Pasco

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 Cerro de Pasco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 249%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $832 in Cerro de Pasco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose and $29.00 in Cerro de Pasco. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 98% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cerro de Pasco, where all-in costs run around $555, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Cerro de Pasco it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cerro de Pasco – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cerro de Pasco. 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.