Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Jaco Beach

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaco Beach: $1,445 a month against $2,105 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Jaco Beach
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Jaco Beach Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,105

/mo nomad

Jaco Beach

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,445

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Jaco Beach

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,105 in San Jose versus $1,445 in Jaco Beach.

San Jose $2,105
Jaco Beach $1,445

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,074 in San Jose versus $2,296 in Jaco Beach.

San Jose $3,074
Jaco Beach $2,296

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,043 in San Jose versus $3,147 in Jaco Beach.

San Jose $4,043
Jaco Beach $3,147

Living in San Jose is roughly 46% more expensive than in Jaco Beach, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 55% above, Jaco Beach 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.43 ₡5,609

$11.32 ₡5,106

9.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.5K

$43.14 ₡19.5K

41.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 ₡5,288

$10.22 ₡4,612

14.68%

Cappuccino

$4.47 ₡2,019

$3.99 ₡1,799

12.03%

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

$2.75 ₡1,241

$2.40 ₡1,085

14.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₡867

$1.87 ₡844

2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,470

$3.19 ₡1,441

2.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 ₡2,009

$4.33 ₡1,954

2.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,063

$1.98 ₡892

19.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₡1,393

$2.19 ₡989

41.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 ₡1,083

$2.39 ₡1,078

0.42%

Eggs

$3.44 ₡1,553

$2.60 ₡1,175

32.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.73 ₡4,841

$10.78 ₡4,865

-0.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 ₡4,674

$8.88 ₡4,008

16.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 ₡6,243

$12.11 ₡5,466

14.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 ₡2,323

$4.95 ₡2,233

4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡746

$1.66 ₡748

-0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.67 ₡2,109

$4.75 ₡2,141

-1.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 ₡1,798

$3.42 ₡1,544

16.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 ₡1,761

$1.50 ₡676

160.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 ₡1,647

$1.42 ₡641

157.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡487

$0.99 ₡447

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₡1,398

$1.99 ₡900

55.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 ₡2,745

$6.01 ₡2,711

1.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.05 ₡9,047

$13.81 ₡6,231

45.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,252

$2.64 ₡1,192

4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 ₡1,666

$2.18 ₡985

69.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 ₡30.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,122

$2.49 ₡1,125

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡735

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 ₡3,821

$8.53 ₡3,848

-0.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.57 ₡707

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$33.9K ₡15.3M

2.01%

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

$42.3K ₡19.1M

$42.6K ₡19.2M

-0.67%

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

$93.2 ₡42.0K

$79.6 ₡35.9K

17.10%

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

$36.05 ₡16.3K

$23.88 ₡10.8K

50.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.7K

$47.69 ₡21.5K

23.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₡31.1K

$52.0 ₡23.4K

32.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.80 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ₡3,543

$7.72 ₡3,483

1.68%

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

$996 ₡449.4K

$479 ₡216.3K

107.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$7,442 ₡3.4M

128.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 ₡31.6K

$25.50 ₡11.5K

175.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 ₡24.9K

$56.2 ₡25.4K

-1.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.5K

$127 ₡57.3K

2.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡59.2K

$133 ₡59.8K

-1.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 ₡525.2K

$748 ₡337.6K

55.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$945 ₡426.4K

$526 ₡237.2K

79.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 ₡899.4K

$1,984 ₡895.4K

0.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 ₡633.4K

$1,099 ₡495.8K

27.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,727 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,040 ₡920.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,011 ₡456.1K

$402 ₡181.3K

151.60%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Jaco Beach: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$945 44.9%

Jaco Beach

$526 36.4% 44.4% $419

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 19%

Jaco Beach

$326 22.6% 18.4% $73

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Jaco Beach

$211 14.6% 9.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9%

Jaco Beach

$151 10.5% 19.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Jaco Beach

$154 10.6% 11.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$85 4%

Jaco Beach

$67 4.7% 20.4% $17

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 3.9%

Jaco Beach

$11 * 0.7% 87% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,164 in San Jose and $748 in Jaco Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in San Jose vs $43 in Jaco Beach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $326 per month, with Jaco Beach cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇷 Jaco Beach

🕒 Local time

08:58 8:58 AM

Same time as San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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San Jose Jaco Beach 69 km

From you

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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 Jaco Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jaco Beach is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in San Jose is about 2.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,164 in San Jose versus $748 in Jaco Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $996 in San Jose versus $479 in Jaco Beach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jaco Beach – a meal for two runs $43 versus $61 in San Jose. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

For families, Jaco Beach is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in San Jose, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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