Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Hazelton

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,212 in Hazelton, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hazelton outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Hazelton
Learn more

Hazelton Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Hazelton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,212 in Hazelton.

San Jose $1,938
Hazelton $2,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,936 in San Jose versus $3,222 in Hazelton.

San Jose $2,936
Hazelton $3,222

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,934 in San Jose versus $4,231 in Hazelton.

San Jose $3,934
Hazelton $4,231

Living in San Jose costs roughly 12% less than in Hazelton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 44% above, Hazelton 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$17.65 CA$24.95

-29.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$64.1 CA$90.6

-4.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$9.48 CA$13.41

20.78%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$3.52 CA$4.98

24.72%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$2.03 CA$2.87

33.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$1.59 CA$2.24

21.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$5.16 CA$7.30

-37.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$5.84 CA$8.26

-24.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$2.08 CA$2.95

17.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$2.55 CA$3.61

19.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$3.32 CA$4.70

-27.41%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$3.43 CA$4.85

-0.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$9.70 CA$13.71

10.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$11.66 CA$16.48

-10.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$14.50 CA$20.50

-3.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$3.78 CA$5.34

38.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.48 CA$2.09

7.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$3.66 CA$5.17

28.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$3.79 CA$5.35

4.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$2.43 CA$3.44

61.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$2.19 CA$3.09

68.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.35 CA$3.32

-52.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.55 CA$2.19

105.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$15.94 CA$22.53

-62.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$12.64 CA$17.87

54.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$2.58 CA$3.65

9.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$3.13 CA$4.43

14.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.39 CA$3.38

-53.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$67.0 CA$94.8

-0.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.49 CA$3.52

0.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.50 CA$2.12

8.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$24.10 CA$34.07

-64.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.19 CA$1.68

31.09%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$30.1K CA$42.6K

-25.61%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$19.7K CA$27.9K

80.45%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$135 CA$191

-29.61%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$37.58 CA$53.1

-5.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$53.1 CA$75.1

10.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$40.08 CA$56.7

81.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$18.02 CA$25.48

37.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$11.07 CA$15.66

-31.53%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$731 CA$1,033

37.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$14.6K CA$20.7K

17.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$52.5 CA$74.2

34.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$38.36 CA$54.2

45.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$84.7 CA$120

53.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$102 CA$144

28.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$1,256 CA$1,776

-26.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$1,098 CA$1,553

-29.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$1,943 CA$2,747

1.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$1,714 CA$2,422

-24.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$3,960 CA$5,599

-42.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$3,147 CA$4,450

-41.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$2,080 CA$2,940

-51.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.66

84.98%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hazelton: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Hazelton

$1.1K 49.7% 41.9% $324

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Hazelton

$350 15.8% 12.8% $51

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Hazelton

$264 11.9% 15.1% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Hazelton

$226 10.2% 19.3% $37

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Hazelton

$125 5.6% 28.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Hazelton

$62 2.8% 29.2% $26

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Hazelton

$87 3.9% 5.7% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in San Jose and $1,256 in Hazelton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hazelton pays 105% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in San Jose vs $64.0 in Hazelton. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $350, with Hazelton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Hazelton

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

14:50 2:50 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

257

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Hazelton 6,310 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Hazelton

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 Hazelton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose and Hazelton differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,938 vs $2,212 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 105% lower in Hazelton. 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: $927 in San Jose versus $1,256 in Hazelton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Jose runs roughly 0% less than in Hazelton. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,001 in San Jose versus $731 in Hazelton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $2,212 in Hazelton, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Hazelton. 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.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Hazelton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.