Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Guanacaste

For one person, living is cheaper in Guanacaste: $1,548 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Guanacaste
Learn more

Guanacaste Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Guanacaste

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $1,548 in Guanacaste, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Guanacaste $1,548

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $2,428 in Guanacaste, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Guanacaste $2,428

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $3,309 in Guanacaste, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Guanacaste $3,309

San Jose costs about 25% more than Guanacaste, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Guanacaste sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, Guanacaste by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$10.82 ₡4,851

14.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$48.68 ₡21.8K

25.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$11.68 ₡5,237

-1.97%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$4.53 ₡2,032

-3.09%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$2.75 ₡1,234

-1.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$1.94 ₡871

-0.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$3.16 ₡1,417

1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$4.54 ₡2,037

-2.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$2.00 ₡895

22.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$3.04 ₡1,363

0.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$2.43 ₡1,090

-0.82%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$3.54 ₡1,588

-3.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$5.44 ₡2,438

97.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$4.47 ₡2,002

133.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$10.84 ₡4,861

29.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$2.56 ₡1,147

105.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.64 ₡735

-3.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$4.51 ₡2,022

3.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$1.56 ₡698

153.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$3.90 ₡1,749

0.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$2.23 ₡1,002

65.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.85 ₡383

31.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$3.09 ₡1,386

3.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$4.42 ₡1,984

35.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$20.31 ₡9,107

-3.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$2.90 ₡1,300

-2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$2.66 ₡1,191

34.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.30 ₡582

-13.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.45 ₡1,100

2.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.55 ₡696

5.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$8.80 ₡3,945

-3.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.55 ₡695

0.65%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

2.67%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$35.4K ₡15.9M

0.41%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$96.5 ₡43.3K

-1.31%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$36.34 ₡16.3K

-2.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$32.76 ₡14.7K

78.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$72.0 ₡32.3K

0.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$7.57 ₡3,395

0.13%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$974 ₡436.7K

2.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$17.4K ₡7.8M

-1.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$65.6 ₡29.4K

7.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$43.46 ₡19.5K

28.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$88.9 ₡39.9K

45.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$76.9 ₡34.5K

70.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$812 ₡364.2K

14.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$625 ₡280.4K

23.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$1,920 ₡861.1K

2.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$1,264 ₡567.0K

1.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Guanacaste: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Guanacaste

$625 40.4% 19.3% $149

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Guanacaste

$311 20.1% 22.5% $90

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Guanacaste

$220 14.2% 4.2% $9.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Guanacaste

$166 10.7% 12.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Guanacaste

$124 8% 28.9% $50

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Guanacaste

$87 5.6% 0.8% $0.7

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Guanacaste

$15 * 1% 81.2% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $812 in Guanacaste. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose versus $49.00 in Guanacaste. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $311 – making Guanacaste the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇷 Guanacaste

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

Same time as San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

1,823

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Guanacaste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $2,321 in Guanacaste. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guanacaste, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,938 in San Jose and $1,548 in Guanacaste. That's a gap of about 25%.

Kindergarten costs $1,001 per month in San Jose and $974 in Guanacaste. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guanacaste, where all-in costs run around $1,548, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Guanacaste it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guanacaste – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Guanacaste. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.