Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Iquitos

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $663 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $663 in Iquitos, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Iquitos $663

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $1,185 in Iquitos, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Iquitos $1,185

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $1,707 in Iquitos, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Iquitos $1,707

San Jose costs about 192% more than Iquitos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Jose sits 44% above the global median, while Iquitos is 51% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$4.31 PEN 14.81

187.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$38.44 PEN 132

58.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$7.30 PEN 25.06

56.85%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$3.57 PEN 12.26

22.97%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$0.85 PEN 2.92

217.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$0.56 PEN 1.91

244.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$2.82 PEN 9.69

13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$7.41 PEN 25.45

-40.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.76 PEN 6.05

38.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$2.30 PEN 7.91

32.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$2.56 PEN 8.80

32.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$3.28 PEN 11.26

217.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$0.89 PEN 3.07

258.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$34.73 PEN 119

174.17%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$11.34 PEN 38.95

213.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$8.74 PEN 30.03

570.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$29.05 PEN 99.8

150.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$8.75 PEN 30.06

184.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$5.64 PEN 19.37

34.40%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$2,789 PEN 9,576

514.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$87.7 PEN 301

-19.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$35.24 PEN 121

58.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$52.9 PEN 182

145.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$26.21 PEN 90.0

399.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$343 PEN 1,180

169.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$265 PEN 909

192.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$882 PEN 3,029

123.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$712 PEN 2,445

80.87%

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

$573 PEN 1,968

77.37%

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 Iquitos: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Iquitos

–

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Iquitos

–

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Iquitos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Iquitos

–

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Iquitos

–

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Iquitos

–

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Iquitos

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $343 in Iquitos. 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 77% higher in San Jose, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose versus $38.00 in Iquitos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $78.0 – making Iquitos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🕒 Local time

16:45 4:45 PM

17:45 5:45 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

32,853

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Iquitos 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Iquitos

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 Iquitos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 192%, 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 $994 in Iquitos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 414% more in San Jose, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose and $38.00 in Iquitos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Iquitos, where all-in costs run around $663, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Iquitos it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iquitos – 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 Iquitos. 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.