Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Kelowna

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,351 in Kelowna, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kelowna outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

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

Cost of Living Index in Kelowna
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Kelowna Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Kelowna

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,949 in San Jose versus $2,351 in Kelowna.

San Jose $1,949
Kelowna $2,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,903 in San Jose versus $3,444 in Kelowna.

San Jose $2,903
Kelowna $3,444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,857 in San Jose versus $4,536 in Kelowna.

San Jose $3,857
Kelowna $4,536

Living in San Jose costs roughly 17% less than in Kelowna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 45% above, Kelowna 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$16.53 CA$23.56

-26.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$58.2 CA$82.9

3.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$11.36 CA$16.19

3.61%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$3.91 CA$5.57

9.97%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$1.97 CA$2.80

38.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.70 CA$2.42

8.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$4.52 CA$6.44

-27.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$5.64 CA$8.04

-22.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$1.98 CA$2.82

20.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$2.74 CA$3.90

13.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$3.52 CA$5.02

-31.53%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$3.14 CA$4.47

10.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$9.04 CA$12.89

16.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$13.07 CA$18.63

-19.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$21.06 CA$30.03

-34.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$3.34 CA$4.76

50.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$1.54 CA$2.20

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$3.38 CA$4.82

35.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$4.76 CA$6.78

-19.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$3.04 CA$4.33

24.01%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$3.11 CA$4.44

20.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$2.51 CA$3.58

-55.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$1.87 CA$2.66

71.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$14.00 CA$19.96

-58.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$13.39 CA$19.08

47.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$2.58 CA$3.68

6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$3.10 CA$4.42

18.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.72 CA$2.46

-34.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

$48.15 CA$68.6

35.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$2.79 CA$3.98

-11.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$1.71 CA$2.43

-9.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$33.36 CA$47.55

-74.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.27 CA$1.82

22.05%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$28.0K CA$39.9K

-22.54%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$17.9K CA$25.5K

95.04%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$127 CA$181

-25.47%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$44.36 CA$63.2

-20.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$55.9 CA$79.7

4.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$55.1 CA$78.5

31.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

$30.27 CA$43.14

-16.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$11.71 CA$16.69

-33.13%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$1,006 CA$1,433

-3.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$15.9K CA$22.7K

6.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$47.17 CA$67.2

51.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$40.66 CA$58.0

34.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$83.3 CA$119

54.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$96.8 CA$138

37.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$1,353 CA$1,929

-30.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$1,197 CA$1,707

-35.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$2,267 CA$3,232

-14.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$1,924 CA$2,742

-31.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$3,893 CA$5,549

-41.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$3,207 CA$4,571

-44.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$3,012 CA$4,294

-66.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.69

83.80%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Kelowna: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Kelowna

$1.2K 51.2% 55.4% $427

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Kelowna

$386 16.5% 3.1% $13

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Kelowna

$262 11.2% 14.7% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Kelowna

$227 9.7% 20.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Kelowna

$121 5.2% 31.1% $54

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Kelowna

$78 3.4% 10.6% $9.3

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Kelowna

$66 2.8% 16.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $934 in San Jose and $1,353 in Kelowna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kelowna pays 199% 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: $60.0 in San Jose vs $58.0 in Kelowna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $386 per month, with Kelowna cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Kelowna

🕒 Local time

06:11 6:11 AM

05:11 5:11 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

144,576

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Kelowna 5,510 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Kelowna

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 Kelowna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose and Kelowna differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,949 vs $2,351 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 199% lower in Kelowna. 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: $934 in San Jose versus $1,353 in Kelowna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,949 per month in San Jose versus $2,351 in Kelowna – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Jose runs roughly 35% less than in Kelowna. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,949 in San Jose versus $2,351 in Kelowna, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Kelowna. 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.

Safety-wise, San Jose and Kelowna are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Kelowna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.