Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Kingston, Canada

Name: Kingston
Address: Kingston, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,288 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kingston outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Kingston

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,288 in Kingston, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Kingston $2,288

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,162 in Kingston, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Kingston $3,162

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,035 in Kingston, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Kingston $4,035

San Jose is about 8% cheaper than Kingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Kingston sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Kingston by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$15.42 CA$21.62

-19.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$64.9 CA$91.0

-3.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$10.67 CA$14.96

9.75%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$3.42 CA$4.80

32.75%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.14 CA$2.99

28.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.34 CA$1.88

38.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.68 CA$7.96

-41.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$5.94 CA$8.33

-27.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$2.20 CA$3.09

7.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.59 CA$3.62

18.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$3.08 CA$4.32

-18.51%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$2.95 CA$4.13

19.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$10.55 CA$14.79

-0.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$11.89 CA$16.67

-11.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$11.70 CA$16.40

18.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$2.94 CA$4.13

76.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.21 CA$1.70

36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$3.64 CA$5.11

34.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$3.83 CA$5.37

0.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.92 CA$4.09

33.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.44 CA$3.42

54.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.17 CA$3.04

-48.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.62 CA$2.27

98.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$14.14 CA$19.82

-57.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$12.65 CA$17.73

56.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.36 CA$3.30

19.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.94 CA$4.12

24.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.52 CA$3.53

-57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$57.5 CA$80.6

13.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.24 CA$4.54

-30.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.62 CA$2.27

9.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$31.10 CA$43.59

-74.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.15 CA$1.61

30.43%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$27.8K CA$39.0K

20.42%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$21.3K CA$29.9K

98.15%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$130 CA$182

-28.05%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$38.57 CA$54.1

-6.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$62.9 CA$88.2

-3.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$26.77 CA$37.52

157.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$8.92 CA$12.51

179.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$10.85 CA$15.21

-29.31%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$522 CA$732

86.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$12.2K CA$17.1K

54.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$53.9 CA$75.5

31.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$32.28 CA$45.25

75.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$81.1 CA$114

58.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$84.6 CA$119

54.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,468 CA$2,057

-20.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,227 CA$1,720

-23.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,338 CA$3,277

-15.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,646 CA$2,307

-14.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$3,407 CA$4,776

-21.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$2,550 CA$3,574

-20.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,098 CA$4,342

-68.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.61

86.98%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kingston: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Kingston

$1.2K 53.6% 30.1% $284

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Kingston

$339 14.8% 15.9% $64

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Kingston

$251 11% 7.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Kingston

$231 10.1% 21.6% $41

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Kingston

$113 5% 34.9% $61

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Kingston

$48 2.1% 42.5% $36

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Kingston

$79 3.5% 2.3% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,468 in Kingston. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kingston are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $65 in Kingston. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $339 in Kingston – so Kingston wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Kingston

🕒 Local time

03:11 3:11 AM

04:11 4:11 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

123,363

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Kingston 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Kingston

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 Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,107 in San Jose, $2,288 in Kingston – San Jose comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,432 in Kingston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,468 in Kingston.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $2,288 in Kingston. That makes San Jose about 8% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 12% less in Kingston. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,288 in Kingston. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kingston makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.