Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Langley, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,460 in Langley, BC, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Langley, BC
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Langley, BC Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Langley, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,460

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Langley, BC

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $2,460 in Langley, BC, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Langley, BC $2,460

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $3,555 in Langley, BC, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Langley, BC $3,555

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $4,650 in Langley, BC, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Langley, BC $4,650

San Jose is about 21% cheaper than Langley, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Langley, BC sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, Langley, BC by 82%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,562

$19.13 CA$27.19

-35.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$71.4 CA$101

-14.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,145

$10.64 CA$15.12

7.61%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,971

$3.53 CA$5.02

24.36%

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

$2.70 ₡1,213

$2.24 CA$3.18

20.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡865

$1.75 CA$2.49

10.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,436

$5.65 CA$8.03

-43.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,982

$6.85 CA$9.74

-35.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,095

$1.72 CA$2.45

41.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,372

$2.25 CA$3.20

35.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,083

$3.00 CA$4.27

-19.67%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,526

$3.77 CA$5.35

-9.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,832

$10.84 CA$15.40

-0.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,688

$15.53 CA$22.07

-32.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,286

$26.20 CA$37.23

-46.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,357

$3.66 CA$5.20

43.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡713

$1.13 CA$1.61

40.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,107

$3.81 CA$5.41

23.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,774

$3.93 CA$5.58

0.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,763

$2.40 CA$3.40

63.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,655

$2.12 CA$3.01

73.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.24 CA$3.18

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,432

$1.61 CA$2.29

98.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,697

$15.25 CA$21.67

-60.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,788

$12.49 CA$17.75

56.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,266

$2.40 CA$3.41

17.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,614

$2.83 CA$4.02

26.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.78 CA$2.54

-37.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$72.2 CA$103

-7.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,121

$3.53 CA$5.01

-29.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡734

$2.04 CA$2.90

-20.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,819

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.30 CA$1.85

20.00%

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

$22.4K ₡10.1M

$27.3K CA$38.8K

-18.00%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$20.0K CA$28.4K

77.84%

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

$95.2 ₡42.8K

$152 CA$216

-37.35%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$37.48 CA$53.3

-5.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$52.5 CA$74.5

11.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.7K

$31.20 CA$44.34

132.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.2K

$7.18 CA$10.20

246.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,408

$11.84 CA$16.82

-35.98%

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

$1,001 ₡449.9K

$1,024 CA$1,456

-2.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$10.6K CA$15.1K

61.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.7K

$62.5 CA$88.8

12.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$79.7 CA$113

-29.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.3K

$80.4 CA$114

61.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$130 CA$185

0.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡416.6K

$1,427 CA$2,028

-35.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.9K

$1,228 CA$1,746

-36.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡883.7K

$2,090 CA$2,970

-5.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡578.7K

$1,849 CA$2,628

-30.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$5,619 CA$7,986

-59.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡822.6K

$5,196 CA$7,386

-64.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡456.7K

$3,041 CA$4,322

-66.58%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Langley, BC: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Langley, BC

$1.2K 50% 58.6% $454

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Langley, BC

$398 16.2% 0.8% $3.2

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Langley, BC

$285 11.6% 24.4% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Langley, BC

$242 9.8% 27.7% $52

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Langley, BC

$159 6.5% 8.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Langley, BC

$55 2.2% 37.5% $33

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Langley, BC

$93 3.8% 13.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $1,427 in Langley, BC. 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 199% higher in Langley, BC, 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 $71.0 in Langley, BC. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in San Jose vs $398 in Langley, BC – so Langley, BC wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Langley, BC

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

18:29 6:29 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

28,963

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 CAD = 0.704 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Langley, BC 5,630 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Langley, BC

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 Langley, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Langley, BC is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $3,690 in Langley, BC. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 8% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,001 per month in San Jose and $1,024 in Langley, BC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Langley, BC at $2,460. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Langley, BC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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