Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Creston

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,094 in Creston, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Creston outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Creston
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Creston Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Creston

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,094

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $2,094 in Creston, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Creston $2,094

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $3,206 in Creston, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Creston $3,206

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $4,318 in Creston, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Creston $4,318

San Jose is about 7% cheaper than Creston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Creston sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, Creston by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$17.22 CA$24.34

-28.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$65.8 CA$93.0

-7.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$11.38 CA$16.08

0.62%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$4.05 CA$5.73

8.40%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$1.96 CA$2.76

37.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$1.56 CA$2.21

23.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$5.09 CA$7.20

-37.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$4.80 CA$6.78

-8.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$2.01 CA$2.84

21.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$2.88 CA$4.06

5.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$3.16 CA$4.47

-23.73%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$4.25 CA$6.00

-20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$9.81 CA$13.87

9.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$10.10 CA$14.28

3.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$14.57 CA$20.59

-3.98%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$3.76 CA$5.32

39.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.31 CA$1.85

21.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$3.35 CA$4.73

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$3.97 CA$5.61

-0.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$2.16 CA$3.05

81.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$2.33 CA$3.29

57.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.50 CA$3.53

-55.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.39 CA$1.96

129.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$12.86 CA$18.18

-53.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$14.25 CA$20.15

37.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$2.22 CA$3.14

27.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$3.02 CA$4.27

18.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.08 CA$2.95

-46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$53.4 CA$75.5

25.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.90 CA$4.11

-13.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.41 CA$1.99

15.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$22.72 CA$32.11

-62.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.12 CA$1.59

39.29%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$24.2K CA$34.2K

-7.34%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$18.7K CA$26.5K

89.92%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$132 CA$186

-27.80%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$37.43 CA$52.9

-4.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$53.4 CA$75.5

9.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$37.37 CA$52.8

94.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$19.25 CA$27.22

29.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$11.10 CA$15.69

-31.71%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$705 CA$996

42.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$13.1K CA$18.5K

30.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$53.4 CA$75.5

32.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$43.30 CA$61.2

28.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$92.9 CA$131

39.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$105 CA$149

24.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$1,141 CA$1,613

-18.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$993 CA$1,403

-22.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$1,934 CA$2,734

1.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$1,812 CA$2,561

-28.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$3,677 CA$5,198

-38.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$3,646 CA$5,155

-49.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.66

84.98%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Creston: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Creston

$993 47.4% 28.2% $218

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Creston

$345 16.5% 13.9% $56

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Creston

$270 12.9% 17.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Creston

$223 10.6% 17.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Creston

$133 6.3% 23.8% $41

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Creston

$60 2.8% 32.2% $28

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Creston

$72 3.4% 12.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $1,141 in Creston. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose versus $66.0 in Creston. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in San Jose vs $345 in Creston – so Creston wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Creston

🕒 Local time

13:19 1:19 PM

12:19 12:19 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

5,583

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Creston 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Creston

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 Creston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Creston is pricier by about 8%, 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 $3,141 in Creston. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,938 in San Jose and $2,094 in Creston. That's a gap of about 8%.

Public transport costs about 25% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Creston at $2,094. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Creston 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, Creston makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.