Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Guadalupe, Costa Rica

For one person, living is cheaper in Guadalupe: $1,601 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Guadalupe
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Guadalupe Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Guadalupe

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $1,601 in Guadalupe, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Guadalupe $1,601

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $2,490 in Guadalupe, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Guadalupe $2,490

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $3,379 in Guadalupe, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Guadalupe $3,379

San Jose costs about 32% more than Guadalupe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Jose and Guadalupe sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Guadalupe by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,564

$11.11 ₡4,996

11.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.1K

$32.87 ₡14.8K

89.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,265

$8.77 ₡3,942

33.52%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$3.25 ₡1,460

39.69%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.15 ₡966

27.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,506

$3.36 ₡1,513

-0.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,945

$4.41 ₡1,983

-2.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$2.16 ₡973

9.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.19 ₡1,436

-3.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$2.44 ₡1,098

2.87%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.48 ₡1,566

1.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,739

$9.60 ₡4,319

9.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,755

$9.95 ₡4,472

6.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,262

$13.84 ₡6,223

0.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$5.11 ₡2,299

1.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡741

$1.63 ₡734

1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.71 ₡2,118

3.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$3.77 ₡1,695

1.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$3.91 ₡1,759

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$3.71 ₡1,666

1.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.11 ₡499

0.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$3.09 ₡1,392

4.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,707

$4.46 ₡2,004

34.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,920

$20.12 ₡9,047

-1.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,265

$2.76 ₡1,241

1.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,644

$3.58 ₡1,611

1.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.35 ₡606

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$2.06 ₡926

9.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.60 ₡721

11.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,552

$8.94 ₡4,019

-11.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.42 ₡637

5.63%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$25.9K ₡11.6M

29.48%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$41.5K ₡18.7M

1.97%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$35.93 ₡16.2K

159.37%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$26.33 ₡11.8K

37.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$54.3 ₡24.4K

11.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$66.9 ₡30.1K

2.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,450

$7.80 ₡3,510

-1.67%

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

$972 ₡437.0K

$990 ₡445.0K

-1.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$17.0K ₡7.6M

11.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$70.3 ₡31.6K

0.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$43.98 ₡19.8K

28.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$131 ₡59.0K

-1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$98.4 ₡44.3K

32.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$819 ₡368.4K

42.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.2K

$644 ₡289.4K

46.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.1K

$1,873 ₡842.4K

5.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.6K

$1,253 ₡563.6K

11.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.7K

$1,232 ₡553.9K

-19.89%

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 Guadalupe: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Guadalupe

$644 40.2% 31.8% $300

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Guadalupe

$392 24.5% 2.6% $10

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Guadalupe

$196 12.2% 15.7% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Guadalupe

$117 7.3% 38.6% $73

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Guadalupe

$155 9.7% 11.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Guadalupe

$83 5.2% 2% $1.7

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Guadalupe

$15 * 1% 80.8% $65

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $819 in Guadalupe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 25% higher in Guadalupe, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $33 in Guadalupe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $392 – making Guadalupe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇷 Guadalupe

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

Same time as San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

23,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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San Jose Guadalupe 3 km

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San Jose
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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 Guadalupe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,107 in San Jose, $1,601 in Guadalupe – Guadalupe comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $2,401 in Guadalupe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guadalupe, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $819 there versus $1,170 in San Jose.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $33 in Guadalupe. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in San Jose, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,107 in San Jose and $1,601 in Guadalupe, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,601 in Guadalupe to $2,107 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.