Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Guelph

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,697 in Guelph, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Guelph
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Guelph Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Guelph

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,697

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,697 in Guelph.

San Jose $2,107
Guelph $2,697

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $3,761 in Guelph.

San Jose $3,081
Guelph $3,761

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $4,826 in Guelph.

San Jose $4,054
Guelph $4,826

Living in San Jose costs roughly 22% less than in Guelph, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Guelph 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$21.69 CA$30.40

-42.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$71.6 CA$100

-12.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$11.65 CA$16.34

0.52%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$3.41 CA$4.78

33.14%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$1.51 CA$2.12

82.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.32 CA$1.85

40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.02 CA$7.04

-33.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$6.15 CA$8.62

-29.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$2.15 CA$3.02

9.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.91 CA$4.07

5.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$3.66 CA$5.13

-31.42%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$2.95 CA$4.13

19.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$10.39 CA$14.57

1.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$15.95 CA$22.36

-33.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$22.10 CA$30.98

-37.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$3.64 CA$5.10

42.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.27 CA$1.78

29.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.46 CA$6.25

9.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$4.68 CA$6.56

-17.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$3.33 CA$4.67

17.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.29 CA$3.21

64.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.99 CA$4.19

-62.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.48 CA$2.08

117.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$10.98 CA$15.39

-45.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$11.03 CA$15.47

79.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$3.46 CA$4.85

-18.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.12 CA$4.37

16.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.30 CA$3.23

-53.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$67.1 CA$94.1

-2.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$2.39 CA$3.36

-5.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.96 CA$2.74

-9.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$26.29 CA$36.85

-69.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.19 CA$1.67

26.05%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$27.9K CA$39.1K

19.93%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$22.7K CA$31.9K

86.07%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$122 CA$171

-23.56%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$42.68 CA$59.8

-15.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$55.3 CA$77.6

9.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$46.57 CA$65.3

48.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$14.25 CA$19.97

75.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$10.58 CA$14.83

-27.50%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$838 CA$1,174

16.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$16.9K CA$23.7K

11.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$64.1 CA$89.8

10.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$36.43 CA$51.1

55.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$86.6 CA$121

48.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$124 CA$174

5.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,546 CA$2,167

-24.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,471 CA$2,062

-35.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,173 CA$3,046

-8.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$2,003 CA$2,808

-30.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$4,847 CA$6,795

-44.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$4,402 CA$6,170

-53.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,063 CA$4,293

-67.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.99

72.75%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Guelph: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Guelph

$1.5K 54.6% 56% $528

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Guelph

$411 15.3% 2.1% $8.6

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Guelph

$298 11.1% 28.3% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Guelph

$220 8.2% 15.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Guelph

$140 5.2% 19.5% $34

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Guelph

$68 2.5% 19.6% $17

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Guelph

$89 3.3% 9.7% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,546 in Guelph. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guelph pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $72 in Guelph for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $411 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Guelph

🕒 Local time

20:18 8:18 PM

21:18 9:18 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

131,794

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Guelph 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Guelph

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 Guelph: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 68% 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 $1,546 in Guelph. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $972 in San Jose versus $838 in Guelph. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62 versus $72 in Guelph. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,697 in Guelph, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Guelph. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – San Jose wins on affordability, Guelph on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.