Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Hamilton, Canada

Name: Hamilton
Address: Hamilton, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,378 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hamilton outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,378

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $2,378 in Hamilton.

San Jose $2,107
Hamilton $2,378

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $3,390 in Hamilton.

San Jose $3,081
Hamilton $3,390

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $4,402 in Hamilton.

San Jose $4,054
Hamilton $4,402

Living in San Jose costs roughly 11% less than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Hamilton 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$18.01 CA$25.24

-31.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$67.5 CA$94.6

-7.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$12.27 CA$17.19

-4.56%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$3.45 CA$4.83

31.59%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.15 CA$3.02

27.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.66 CA$2.32

12.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.10 CA$7.15

-34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$6.30 CA$8.83

-31.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$2.02 CA$2.83

16.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.09 CA$2.92

46.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$3.27 CA$4.59

-23.24%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.28 CA$4.59

7.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$8.15 CA$11.43

29.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$11.60 CA$16.27

-8.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$14.74 CA$20.66

-5.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$4.06 CA$5.69

28.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.34 CA$1.88

23.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.00 CA$5.60

22.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$3.94 CA$5.52

-2.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.74 CA$3.84

42.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$1.99 CA$2.79

88.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.08 CA$2.92

-46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.41 CA$1.98

128.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$12.37 CA$17.34

-51.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$14.49 CA$20.31

36.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.64 CA$3.69

6.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.90 CA$5.47

-6.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.71 CA$3.80

-60.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$90.6 CA$127

-27.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.53 CA$4.95

-35.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.30 CA$1.82

36.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$23.78 CA$33.33

-66.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.21 CA$1.70

23.97%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$26.5K CA$37.1K

26.51%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$21.8K CA$30.6K

93.65%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$155 CA$217

-39.69%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$42.03 CA$58.9

-14.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$51.1 CA$71.7

18.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$34.22 CA$47.96

101.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$17.63 CA$24.71

41.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$10.46 CA$14.66

-26.67%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$394 CA$553

146.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$22.6K CA$31.7K

-16.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$49.03 CA$68.7

44.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$31.10 CA$43.60

82.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$88.3 CA$124

45.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$116 CA$162

13.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,291 CA$1,809

-9.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,215 CA$1,704

-22.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,003 CA$2,808

-0.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,790 CA$2,509

-21.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$3,132 CA$4,390

-14.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,635 CA$3,693

-22.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,027 CA$4,243

-67.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.6

87.39%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Hamilton

$1.2K 51.1% 28.9% $272

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Hamilton

$345 14.5% 14.2% $57

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Hamilton

$276 11.6% 18.6% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Hamilton

$248 10.4% 30.4% $58

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Hamilton

$128 5.4% 26.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Hamilton

$55 2.3% 34.6% $29

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Hamilton

$111 4.7% 38.1% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,291 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton 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 $67 in Hamilton. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $345, with Hamilton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

01:55 1:55 AM

02:55 2:55 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

519,949

💱 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

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Between locations

San Jose Hamilton 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Hamilton

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 Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose is about 11% 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 67% 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 $1,291 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $972 in San Jose versus $394 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Hamilton pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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, Hamilton on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.