Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Courtenay

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,133 in Courtenay, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Courtenay outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Courtenay
Learn more

Courtenay Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Courtenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $2,133 in Courtenay, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Courtenay $2,133

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $3,026 in Courtenay, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Courtenay $3,026

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $3,919 in Courtenay, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Courtenay $3,919

San Jose is about 9% cheaper than Courtenay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Courtenay sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, Courtenay by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$13.75 CA$19.44

-9.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$56.6 CA$80.0

7.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$10.05 CA$14.20

13.93%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$3.46 CA$4.89

26.88%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$2.02 CA$2.86

33.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$1.64 CA$2.32

17.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$5.70 CA$8.06

-43.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$5.97 CA$8.43

-26.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$2.27 CA$3.21

7.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$2.06 CA$2.91

48.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$2.04 CA$2.89

18.14%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$3.21 CA$4.54

5.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$9.86 CA$13.94

9.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$9.06 CA$12.80

15.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$19.19 CA$27.12

-27.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$3.16 CA$4.47

66.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.32 CA$1.87

20.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$2.29 CA$3.24

104.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$3.02 CA$4.26

30.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$2.53 CA$3.58

54.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$2.09 CA$2.96

76.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.96 CA$2.77

-42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.67 CA$2.36

91.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$14.19 CA$20.06

-57.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$10.45 CA$14.78

87.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$2.40 CA$3.40

17.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$2.51 CA$3.54

43.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.98 CA$2.80

-43.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$42.72 CA$60.4

56.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.67 CA$3.78

-6.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.39 CA$1.96

17.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$17.48 CA$24.72

-51.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.30 CA$1.83

20.00%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$20.3K CA$28.7K

10.44%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$17.9K CA$25.3K

98.67%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$135 CA$190

-29.33%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$37.14 CA$52.5

-4.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$63.7 CA$90.0

-7.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$41.55 CA$58.7

74.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$38.86 CA$54.9

-36.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$10.57 CA$14.94

-28.29%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$1,761 CA$2,490

-43.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$11.8K CA$16.7K

44.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$55.8 CA$78.9

26.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$43.80 CA$61.9

27.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$76.0 CA$107

70.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$59.3 CA$83.8

120.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$1,238 CA$1,751

-25.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$1,109 CA$1,568

-30.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$2,010 CA$2,841

-2.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$1,622 CA$2,293

-20.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$5,337 CA$7,545

-57.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$3,170 CA$4,482

-67.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.87

77.00%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Courtenay: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Courtenay

$1.1K 52% 43.3% $335

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Courtenay

$322 15.1% 19.6% $79

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Courtenay

$237 11.1% 3.2% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Courtenay

$236 11.1% 24.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Courtenay

$106 5% 39.3% $68

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Courtenay

$63 2.9% 28.6% $25

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Courtenay

$60 2.8% 26.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $1,238 in Courtenay. 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 212% higher in Courtenay, 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 $57.0 in Courtenay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $322 – making Courtenay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Courtenay

🕒 Local time

16:13 4:13 PM

15:13 3:13 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

25,599

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Courtenay 5,800 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Courtenay

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 Courtenay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Courtenay is pricier by about 10%, 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 $3,199 in Courtenay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 24% cheaper in Courtenay – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose and $57.0 in Courtenay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Courtenay at $2,133. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Courtenay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – 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 San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Courtenay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.