Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Escazu

For one person, living is cheaper in Escazu: $1,934 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $1,934 in Escazu.

San Jose $2,107
Escazu $1,934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $2,959 in Escazu.

San Jose $3,081
Escazu $2,959

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $3,984 in Escazu.

San Jose $4,054
Escazu $3,984

Living in San Jose is roughly 9% more expensive than in Escazu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Escazu 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,562

$12.06 ₡5,423

2.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$61.8 ₡27.8K

0.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,262

$11.76 ₡5,287

-0.43%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,039

$4.49 ₡2,020

1.11%

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

$2.75 ₡1,237

$2.66 ₡1,195

3.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.91 ₡860

-2.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$3.35 ₡1,504

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$4.34 ₡1,952

-0.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,060

$2.45 ₡1,100

-3.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.09 ₡1,389

-0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$2.50 ₡1,124

0.40%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.45 ₡1,550

2.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,737

$10.68 ₡4,803

-1.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,753

$10.28 ₡4,621

2.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,259

$14.14 ₡6,358

-1.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,337

$5.16 ₡2,322

0.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.57 ₡704

5.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,197

$3.23 ₡1,452

51.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,727

$3.00 ₡1,350

28.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$3.79 ₡1,702

3.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,691

$3.73 ₡1,675

0.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.99 ₡446

13.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.68 ₡754

91.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$5.48 ₡2,462

9.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,916

$18.92 ₡8,505

4.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.68 ₡754

67.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.77 ₡1,245

31.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.05 ₡471

2.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$2.05 ₡922

10.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.86 ₡834

-4.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,550

$8.09 ₡3,636

-2.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡672

$1.48 ₡664

1.35%

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

$33.5K ₡15.0M

$28.0K ₡12.6M

19.76%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$36.6K ₡16.4M

15.63%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$94.5 ₡42.5K

-1.42%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$29.94 ₡13.5K

20.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$58.6 ₡26.3K

3.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$105 ₡47.3K

-34.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$9.81 ₡4,411

154.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,448

$7.66 ₡3,445

0.13%

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

$972 ₡436.8K

$458 ₡206.0K

112.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$17.2K ₡7.7M

9.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.7K

$71.8 ₡32.3K

-1.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$54.9 ₡24.7K

3.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$128 ₡57.3K

0.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$133 ₡59.6K

-1.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.7K

$866 ₡389.1K

35.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.0K

$848 ₡381.2K

11.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡891.7K

$1,929 ₡867.0K

2.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.4K

$1,501 ₡674.7K

-6.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$1,404 ₡630.9K

91.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.5K

$969 ₡435.8K

110.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.5K

$1,792 ₡805.4K

-44.94%

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 Escazu: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Escazu

$848 43.9% 10.1% $95

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Escazu

$363 18.8% 9.9% $40

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Escazu

$229 11.9% 1.3% $3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Escazu

$183 9.5% 3.6% $6.8

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Escazu

$174 9% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Escazu

$121 6.2% 43.1% $36

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Escazu

$16 * 0.8% 80.8% $65

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 $1,170 in San Jose and $866 in Escazu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays 82% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $62 in Escazu. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $363, with Escazu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇷 Escazu

🕒 Local time

04:22 4:22 AM

Same time as San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

11,984

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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San Jose Escazu 7 km

From you

San Jose
Escazu

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 Escazu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Escazu is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 45% 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 $866 in Escazu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in San Jose. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Childcare runs $972 in San Jose versus $458 in Escazu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

For families, Escazu 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.