Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Kingston

For one person, living is cheaper in Kingston: $1,668 a month against $1,949 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,668

/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.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,949 in San Jose versus $1,668 in Kingston.

San Jose $1,949
Kingston $1,668

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,903 in San Jose versus $2,779 in Kingston.

San Jose $2,903
Kingston $2,779

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,857 in San Jose versus $3,890 in Kingston.

San Jose $3,857
Kingston $3,890

Living in San Jose is roughly 17% more expensive than in Kingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 45% above, Kingston 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$13.57 JMD 2,150

-9.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$74.2 JMD 11.8K

-18.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$7.95 JMD 1,261

48.05%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$5.47 JMD 866

-21.39%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$1.14 JMD 180

138.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$0.75 JMD 118

145.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$2.26 JMD 358

45.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$3.13 JMD 496

39.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$4.12 JMD 654

-42.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$3.79 JMD 600

-17.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$1.59 JMD 251

51.57%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$3.56 JMD 564

-2.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$11.22 JMD 1,778

-5.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$6.48 JMD 1,026

62.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$10.22 JMD 1,620

34.54%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$5.89 JMD 933

-14.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$3.90 JMD 619

-58.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$7.34 JMD 1,163

-37.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$3.06 JMD 485

25.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$3.23 JMD 511

16.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$2.67 JMD 423

40.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$3.05 JMD 483

-63.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$1.51 JMD 240

111.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$9.51 JMD 1,507

-38.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$11.32 JMD 1,793

74.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$2.82 JMD 447

-2.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$4.10 JMD 649

-10.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.78 JMD 123

43.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

$37.32 JMD 5,914

74.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$1.24 JMD 196

98.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$3.18 JMD 504

-51.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$6.46 JMD 1,023

30.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.42 JMD 225

9.15%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$44.7K JMD 7.1M

-51.41%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

6.11%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$169 JMD 26.7K

-43.86%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$29.11 JMD 4,613

20.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$52.9 JMD 8,390

10.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$62.5 JMD 9,904

15.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

$17.63 JMD 2,793

42.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$13.28 JMD 2,104

-41.04%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$357 JMD 56.6K

172.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$8,163 JMD 1.3M

108.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$23.85 JMD 3,780

200.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$31.37 JMD 4,971

74.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$78.0 JMD 12.4K

65.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$102 JMD 16.1K

31.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$957 JMD 151.6K

-2.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$576 JMD 91.3K

33.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$2,139 JMD 338.9K

-9.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$1,391 JMD 220.5K

-5.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$2,892 JMD 458.2K

-21.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$2,080 JMD 329.6K

-13.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$733 JMD 116.1K

37.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

9.45

-8.78%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Kingston: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Kingston

$576 34.2% 25.2% $194

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Kingston

$384 22.8% 3.7% $15

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Kingston

$223 13.2% 2.2% $5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Kingston

$251 14.9% 33.1% $62

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Kingston

$106 6.3% 39.6% $69

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Kingston

$89 5.3% 1.4% $1.2

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Kingston

$58 3.4% 27.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $934 in San Jose and $957 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose pays 37% 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 $74.0 in Kingston. Groceries flip the comparison at $399 vs $384, with Kingston cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇯🇲 Kingston

🕒 Local time

02:45 2:45 AM

03:45 3:45 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

660,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.31 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, 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 = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.31 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Kingston 1,190 km ≈ 2 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

Kingston wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in San Jose. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kingston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 37% higher in San Jose, 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: $934 in San Jose versus $957 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $971 in San Jose versus $357 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in San Jose. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,668 in Kingston versus $1,949 in San Jose, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kingston but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Kingston the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kingston delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,668 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kingston hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kingston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.