Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Daule

For one person, living is cheaper in Daule: $855 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Daule
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Daule Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Daule

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in San Jose versus $855 in Daule.

San Jose $1,938
Daule $855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,936 in San Jose versus $1,415 in Daule.

San Jose $2,936
Daule $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,934 in San Jose versus $1,976 in Daule.

San Jose $3,934
Daule $1,976

Living in San Jose is roughly 127% more expensive than in Daule, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Jose is 44% above, Daule is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$5.90 $5.90

109.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$54.4 $54.4

11.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$7.52 $7.52

52.26%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$3.43 $3.43

27.99%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$1.39 $1.39

94.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$1.14 $1.14

69.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$3.41 $3.41

-6.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$6.02 $6.02

-26.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.15 $1.15

112.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$1.60 $1.60

90.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$1.52 $1.52

58.55%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$2.09 $2.09

62.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$6.30 $6.30

70.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$5.46 $5.46

91.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$7.50 $7.50

86.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$2.33 $2.33

125.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.18 $1.18

34.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$1.32 $1.32

255.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$1.09 $1.09

262.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$1.25 $1.25

213.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$1.03 $1.03

257.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.91 $0.91

23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.02 $1.02

212.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$5.92 $5.92

1.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$10.19 $10.19

91.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.51 $1.51

86.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$3.19 $3.19

12.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.38 $0.38

194.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$16.38 $16.38

307.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$1.52 $1.52

64.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.52 $1.52

7.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$10.02 $10.02

-15.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.86 $0.86

81.40%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$20.8K $20.8K

7.87%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$27.9K $27.9K

27.39%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$28.96 $28.96

228.80%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$18.12 $18.12

96.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$28.72 $28.72

104.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$25.86 $25.86

181.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$17.36 $17.36

43.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$6.26 $6.26

21.09%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$231 $231

333.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$8,779 $8,779

95.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$70.5 $70.5

0.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$49.15 $49.15

13.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$118 $118

10.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$109 $109

20.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$269 $269

245.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$211 $211

266.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$668 $668

194.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$381 $381

238.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$1,216 $1,216

87.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$755 $755

142.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

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 Daule: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Daule

$211 24.7% 72.7% $563

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Daule

$196 22.9% 51.1% $205

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Daule

$150 17.6% 34.5% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Daule

$76 8.9% 60% $114

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Daule

$156 18.2% 10.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Daule

$38 4.5% 56.3% $49

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Daule

$27 3.2% 67% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in San Jose and $269 in Daule. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in San Jose vs $54.0 in Daule for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $196 per month, with Daule cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇪🇨 Daule

🕒 Local time

23:58 11:58 PM

00:58 12:58 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

173,684

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Daule 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Daule

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 Daule: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Daule is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,907 in San Jose and $1,282 in Daule 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $927 in San Jose versus $269 in Daule. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Daule – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $61.0 in San Jose. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,938 per month in San Jose versus $855 in Daule – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $855 in Daule versus $1,938 in San Jose, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Daule but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Daule the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Daule is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in San Jose, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Daule gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.