Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Chimbote

For one person, living is cheaper in Chimbote: $20.08 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $25,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Chimbote

🇵🇪 Peru

$20.08

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $20 in Chimbote.

San Jose $2,107
Chimbote $20

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $31 in Chimbote.

San Jose $3,081
Chimbote $31

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $42 in Chimbote.

San Jose $4,054
Chimbote $42

Living in San Jose is roughly 10394% more expensive than in Chimbote, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Jose is 56% above, Chimbote is 99% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,572

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,272

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,043

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

$2.75 ₡1,239

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡839

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,508

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,947

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,062

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,381

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,129

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,588

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,746

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,761

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,270

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,341

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡742

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,201

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,730

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,760

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,694

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡505

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,449

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,711

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,932

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,266

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,646

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡488

$0.95 PEN 3.27

13.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,019

$1.49 PEN 5.12

51.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡800

$2.96 PEN 10.18

-39.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,557

$2.97 PEN 10.23

165.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡674

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

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

$93.2 ₡42.0K

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

$36.13 ₡16.3K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,454

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

$972 ₡437.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡526.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡893.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡630.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡917.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡444.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chimbote: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Chimbote

–

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Chimbote

–

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Chimbote

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Chimbote

–

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Chimbote

–

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Chimbote

–

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Chimbote

–

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇵🇪 Chimbote

🕒 Local time

16:54 4:54 PM

17:54 5:54 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

206,213

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 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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Between locations

San Jose Chimbote 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Chimbote

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 Chimbote: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chimbote is about 99% cheaper overall, especially in transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,161 in San Jose and $30 in Chimbote 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.

At $20 in Chimbote versus $2,107 in San Jose, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chimbote but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Chimbote the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.