Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and El Dorado, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in El Dorado, AR: $1,746 a month against $1,924 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in El Dorado, AR
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El Dorado, AR Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

El Dorado, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,746

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in El Dorado, AR

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 El Dorado, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,924 in San Jose versus $1,746 in El Dorado, AR.

San Jose $1,924
El Dorado, AR $1,746

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,926 in San Jose versus $2,547 in El Dorado, AR.

San Jose $2,926
El Dorado, AR $2,547

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,929 in San Jose versus $3,348 in El Dorado, AR.

San Jose $3,929
El Dorado, AR $3,348

Living in San Jose is roughly 10% more expensive than in El Dorado, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 42% above, El Dorado, AR 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$17.29 $17.29

-28.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$59.0 $59.0

5.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$10.86 $10.86

6.17%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$5.04 $5.04

-13.69%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$3.04 $3.04

-13.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$2.41 $2.41

-22.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$4.95 $4.95

-32.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$6.31 $6.31

-28.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$1.10 $1.10

117.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$2.70 $2.70

14.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.80 $2.80

-10.71%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$3.36 $3.36

3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$10.17 $10.17

5.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$11.99 $11.99

-13.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$22.50 $22.50

-37.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$4.31 $4.31

16.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.45 $1.45

9.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$4.48 $4.48

8.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$3.76 $3.76

5.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$1.57 $1.57

139.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.51 $2.51

48.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$1.92 $1.92

-43.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$1.84 $1.84

76.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$9.36 $9.36

-37.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$13.55 $13.55

49.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.77 $1.77

63.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$1.69 $1.69

120.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$1.81 $1.81

-40.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$2.46 $2.46

1.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.52 $1.52

7.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$24.11 $24.11

-63.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$0.92 $0.92

71.74%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$26.7K $26.7K

25.73%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$26.3K $26.3K

58.35%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$134 $134

-29.87%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$59.8 $59.8

-40.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$39.23 $39.23

52.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$42.36 $42.36

71.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$9.09 $9.09

-14.85%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,036 $1,036

-2.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$19.1K $19.1K

-11.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$50.9 $50.9

43.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$34.32 $34.32

61.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$79.1 $79.1

62.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$61.0 $61.0

113.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$1,537 $1,537

-39.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$678 $678

12.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$1,892 $1,892

1.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$941 $941

35.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$1,185 $1,185

94.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$1,146 $1,146

59.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$4,169 $4,169

-75.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.75

27.70%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for El Dorado, AR: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

El Dorado, AR

$678 38.8% 10.8% $82

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

El Dorado, AR

$366 21% 9.1% $37

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

El Dorado, AR

$291 16.6% 27% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

El Dorado, AR

$233 13.3% 23% $44

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

El Dorado, AR

$101 5.8% 41.8% $73

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

El Dorado, AR

$61 3.5% 31.3% $28

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

El Dorado, AR

$17 * 1% 78.5% $63

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $932 in San Jose and $1,537 in El Dorado, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

El Dorado, AR pays 305% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in San Jose vs $59.0 in El Dorado, AR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $366 per month, with El Dorado, AR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 El Dorado, AR

🕒 Local time

09:26 9:26 AM

10:26 10:26 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

17,756

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose El Dorado, AR 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
El Dorado, AR

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 El Dorado, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Dorado, AR is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 305% lower in El Dorado, AR. 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: $932 in San Jose versus $1,537 in El Dorado, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in San Jose. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,924 per month in San Jose versus $1,746 in El Dorado, AR – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,746 in El Dorado, AR versus $1,924 in San Jose, a $2,500 budget is realistic in El Dorado, AR but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes El Dorado, AR the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, El Dorado, AR 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 El Dorado, AR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.