Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Crooked Island

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,195 in Crooked Island, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Crooked Island despite lower rent and utilities.

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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

Crooked Island

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$2,195

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Crooked Island

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,195 in Crooked Island.

San Jose $2,107
Crooked Island $2,195

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $3,528 in Crooked Island.

San Jose $3,081
Crooked Island $3,528

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $4,861 in Crooked Island.

San Jose $4,054
Crooked Island $4,861

Living in San Jose costs roughly 4% less than in Crooked Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Crooked Island 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$49.76 BSD 49.76

-75.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$12.78 BSD 12.78

-8.37%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$3.90 BSD 3.90

16.41%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$3.95 BSD 3.95

-30.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.96 BSD 1.96

-5.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$4.95 BSD 4.95

-32.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$4.90 BSD 4.90

-11.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$7.82 BSD 7.82

-69.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$5.93 BSD 5.93

-48.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$3.40 BSD 3.40

-26.18%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$11.21 BSD 11.21

-68.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$12.90 BSD 12.90

-18.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$7.77 BSD 7.77

79.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$14.18 BSD 14.18

-63.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$1.26 BSD 1.26

288.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$11.80 BSD 11.80

-67.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.23 BSD 2.23

75.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.94 BSD 2.94

27.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.02 BSD 1.02

9.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.03 BSD 2.03

58.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$29.59 BSD 29.59

-32.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$5.07 BSD 5.07

-44.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$4.92 BSD 4.92

-25.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$2.00 BSD 2.00

-11.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

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 ₡41.9K

$216 BSD 216

-56.94%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$58.9 BSD 58.9

-38.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$69.0 BSD 69.0

-12.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

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

$972 ₡436.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$81.4 BSD 81.4

-13.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$50.7 BSD 50.7

11.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$248 BSD 248

-48.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$100 BSD 100

30.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$543 BSD 543

115.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$555 BSD 555

69.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$1,577 BSD 1,577

25.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,608 BSD 1,608

-12.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$1,100 BSD 1,100

-10.28%

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 Crooked Island: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Crooked Island

–

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Crooked Island

–

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Crooked Island

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Crooked Island

–

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Crooked Island

–

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Crooked Island

–

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Crooked Island

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $543 in Crooked Island. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Crooked Island pays 11% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇧🇸 Crooked Island

🕒 Local time

17:18 5:18 PM

18:18 6:18 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

240

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Crooked Island 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Crooked Island

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 Crooked Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $2,195 in Crooked Island, so San Jose is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in San Jose. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,170 in San Jose versus $543 in Crooked Island. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Crooked Island. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,107 per month in San Jose versus $2,195 in Crooked Island – San Jose is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though San Jose gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Crooked Island on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.