Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Cotacachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotacachi: $720 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Cotacachi
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Cotacachi Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Cotacachi

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in San Jose versus $720 in Cotacachi.

San Jose $1,938
Cotacachi $720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,936 in San Jose versus $1,175 in Cotacachi.

San Jose $2,936
Cotacachi $1,175

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,934 in San Jose versus $1,629 in Cotacachi.

San Jose $3,934
Cotacachi $1,629

Living in San Jose is roughly 169% more expensive than in Cotacachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Jose is 44% above, Cotacachi is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,562

$3.96 $3.96

212.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$25.62 $25.62

137.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,145

$4.41 $4.41

159.64%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,971

$2.18 $2.18

101.38%

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

$2.70 ₡1,213

$1.31 $1.31

106.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡865

$0.80 $0.80

141.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,436

$2.02 $2.02

58.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,982

$4.08 $4.08

8.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,095

$1.11 $1.11

119.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,372

$1.52 $1.52

100.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,083

$1.58 $1.58

52.53%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,526

$2.16 $2.16

57.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,832

$6.29 $6.29

70.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,688

$5.47 $5.47

90.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,286

$7.45 $7.45

87.79%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,357

$2.24 $2.24

134.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡713

$1.14 $1.14

39.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,107

$1.32 $1.32

255.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,774

$1.14 $1.14

246.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,763

$1.21 $1.21

223.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,655

$1.06 $1.06

247.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.83 $0.83

34.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,432

$1.05 $1.05

203.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,697

$4.48 $4.48

33.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,788

$7.63 $7.63

156.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,266

$1.57 $1.57

79.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,614

$3.13 $3.13

14.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.44 $0.44

154.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$15.20 $15.20

339.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,121

$1.27 $1.27

96.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡734

$0.91 $0.91

79.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,819

$9.86 $9.86

-13.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$0.75 $0.75

108.00%

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

$22.4K ₡10.1M

$20.7K $20.7K

8.06%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$28.5K $28.5K

25.06%

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

$95.2 ₡42.8K

$29.15 $29.15

226.66%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$12.84 $12.84

177.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$26.50 $26.50

121.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.7K

$29.46 $29.46

146.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.2K

$9.84 $9.84

152.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,408

$6.56 $6.56

15.55%

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

$1,001 ₡449.9K

$73.7 $73.7

1259.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$2,981 $2,981

474.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.7K

$41.85 $41.85

68.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$42.72 $42.72

30.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.3K

$94.0 $94.0

38.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$60.6 $60.6

115.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡416.6K

$268 $268

245.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.9K

$191 $191

305.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡883.7K

$479 $479

310.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡578.7K

$417 $417

209.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$609 $609

273.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡822.6K

$506 $506

261.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡456.7K

$429 $429

137.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.12

-14.82%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cotacachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Cotacachi

$191 26.5% 75.3% $583

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Cotacachi

$190 26.4% 52.6% $211

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Cotacachi

$98 13.6% 57.4% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Cotacachi

$68 9.5% 63.8% $121

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Cotacachi

$108 15% 38.2% $66

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Cotacachi

$43 5.9% 51.5% $45

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Cotacachi

$23 3.2% 72.2% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in San Jose and $268 in Cotacachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose pays 137% 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 $26.00 in Cotacachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $190 per month, with Cotacachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇪🇨 Cotacachi

🕒 Local time

12:08 12:08 PM

13:08 1:08 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

8,238

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Cotacachi 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Cotacachi

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 Cotacachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose and Cotacachi differ by about 169% in total monthly costs ($1,938 vs $720 including rent). Cotacachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 137% higher in San Jose, 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: $927 in San Jose versus $268 in Cotacachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cotacachi runs roughly 339% less than in San Jose. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,001 in San Jose versus $73.7 in Cotacachi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $720 in Cotacachi versus $1,938 in San Jose, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cotacachi but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Cotacachi 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.

Safety-wise, San Jose and Cotacachi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cotacachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.