Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Kenora

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,043 in Kenora, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kenora outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,938
/mo nomad
Kenora
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,043
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $2,043 in Kenora, rent included.

  • San Jose $1,938
  • Kenora $2,043

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $3,002 in Kenora, rent included.

  • San Jose $2,936
  • Kenora $3,002

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $3,962 in Kenora, rent included.

  • San Jose $3,934
  • Kenora $3,962

San Jose is about 5% cheaper than Kenora, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Kenora sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, Kenora by 51%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Jose
Kenora
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.38 ₡5,551
$14.26 CA$20.16
-13.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.9 ₡27.3K
$62.8 CA$88.8
-3.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.45 ₡5,135
$10.48 CA$14.81
9.26%
Cappuccino
$4.39 ₡1,967
$3.60 CA$5.09
21.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 ₡1,211
$2.19 CA$3.09
23.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 ₡864
$1.86 CA$2.62
3.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.20 ₡1,433
$5.58 CA$7.89
-42.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 ₡1,979
$6.30 CA$8.90
-30.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Jose
Kenora
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.44 ₡1,093
$1.43 CA$2.02
70.63%
White Bread (500g)
$3.05 ₡1,369
$2.15 CA$3.04
41.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.41 ₡1,081
$1.72 CA$2.43
40.12%
Eggs
$3.40 ₡1,523
$2.89 CA$4.09
17.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.75 ₡4,823
$9.65 CA$13.64
11.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.43 ₡4,679
$10.31 CA$14.58
1.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 ₡6,273
$15.54 CA$21.96
-9.97%
Apples (1kg)
$5.25 ₡2,353
$3.91 CA$5.53
34.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 ₡712
$1.26 CA$1.78
26.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.69 ₡2,103
$3.02 CA$4.27
55.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.95 ₡1,770
$1.96 CA$2.77
101.53%
Potato (1kg)
$3.92 ₡1,760
$2.38 CA$3.36
64.71%
Onion (1kg)
$3.68 ₡1,651
$0.93 CA$1.32
295.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ₡503
$2.54 CA$3.59
-55.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.19 ₡1,429
$0.67 CA$0.94
376.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.00 ₡2,692
$14.68 CA$20.76
-59.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.56 ₡8,771
$11.76 CA$16.62
66.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.82 ₡1,263
$2.77 CA$3.91
1.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.59 ₡1,611
$3.33 CA$4.70
7.81%
🚌 Getting Around
San Jose
Kenora
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡503
$2.37 CA$3.35
-52.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.8 ₡30.0K
$63.2 CA$89.3
5.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.50 ₡1,119
$2.79 CA$3.94
-10.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 ₡733
$1.35 CA$1.90
20.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.50 ₡3,812
$24.27 CA$34.31
-64.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.07 CA$1.52
45.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.4K ₡10.0M
$28.0K CA$39.6K
-19.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.6K ₡16.0M
$19.3K CA$27.2K
84.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose
Kenora
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.2 ₡42.7K
$100 CA$142
-4.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.58 ₡16.0K
$32.57 CA$46.05
9.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.6 ₡26.3K
$48.86 CA$69.1
20.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Jose
Kenora
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$72.7 ₡32.6K
$39.58 CA$56.0
83.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.85 ₡11.1K
$19.55 CA$27.64
27.11%
Cinema Ticket
$7.58 ₡3,401
$10.87 CA$15.37
-30.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Jose
Kenora
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,001 ₡449.0K
$987 CA$1,395
1.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.1K ₡7.7M
$13.0K CA$18.4K
31.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Jose
Kenora
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.5 ₡31.6K
$31.88 CA$45.07
121.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.8 ₡25.0K
$41.63 CA$58.9
34.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$130 ₡58.2K
$68.1 CA$96.2
90.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 ₡58.7K
$88.3 CA$125
48.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Jose
Kenora
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$927 ₡415.8K
$1,068 CA$1,509
-13.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$774 ₡347.2K
$1,068 CA$1,509
-27.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,967 ₡882.0K
$1,783 CA$2,520
10.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,288 ₡577.6K
$1,712 CA$2,420
-24.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,274 ₡1.0M
$3,573 CA$5,051
-36.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,831 ₡821.0K
$3,599 CA$5,088
-49.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Jose
Kenora
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,016 ₡455.8K
$3,863 CA$5,461
-73.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
4.45
93.71%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kenora: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Jose
$774
Kenora
$1.1K 37.9% $293
Groceries & Markets
San Jose
$401
Kenora
$302 24.8% $99
Eating Out
San Jose
$229
Kenora
$245 7% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose
$189
Kenora
$182 4.2% $7.9
Clothing & Footwear
San Jose
$174
Kenora
$103 40.6% $71
Sport & Entertainment
San Jose
$88
Kenora
$61 30.2% $27
Getting Around
San Jose
$82
Kenora
$82 0.3% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $1,068 in Kenora. 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 280% higher in Kenora, 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 $63.0 in Kenora. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in San Jose vs $302 in Kenora – so Kenora wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇷 San Jose
🇨🇦 Kenora
🕒 Local time
01:57 1:57 AM
02:57 2:57 AM
1 h ahead of San Jose
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
342,188 Capital
15,096
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Jose Kenora 4,530 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • San Jose
  • Kenora

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 Kenora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, San Jose or Kenora?
Kenora costs about 5% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in San Jose and in Kenora?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $3,065 in Kenora. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, San Jose or Kenora?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in San Jose or in Kenora?
Interestingly, groceries are about 33% cheaper in Kenora – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
How do dining costs compare in San Jose and in Kenora?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose and $63.0 in Kenora. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,500/month in San Jose or in Kenora?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Kenora at $2,043. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kenora it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, San Jose or Kenora?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,938 versus $2,043 in Kenora. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to San Jose or to Kenora?
If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kenora makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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