Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Leticia

For one person, living is cheaper in Leticia: $1,376 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Leticia
Learn more

Leticia Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Leticia

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,376

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in San Jose versus $1,376 in Leticia.

San Jose $1,938
Leticia $1,376

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,936 in San Jose versus $2,110 in Leticia.

San Jose $2,936
Leticia $2,110

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,934 in San Jose versus $2,844 in Leticia.

San Jose $3,934
Leticia $2,844

Living in San Jose is roughly 41% more expensive than in Leticia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 44% above, Leticia 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$8.46 COP 26.8K

46.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$37.96 COP 120.3K

60.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$9.20 COP 29.2K

24.46%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$2.22 COP 7,037

97.75%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$1.53 COP 4,864

76.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$0.86 COP 2,712

124.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$3.59 COP 11.4K

-10.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$3.21 COP 10.2K

37.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.60 COP 5,072

52.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$2.56 COP 8,103

19.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$1.80 COP 5,720

33.89%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$3.06 COP 9,695

11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$9.01 COP 28.6K

19.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$10.77 COP 34.2K

-3.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$11.71 COP 37.1K

19.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$3.28 COP 10.4K

60.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.37 COP 4,334

16.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$1.88 COP 5,961

149.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$1.78 COP 5,657

121.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$1.35 COP 4,291

190.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$1.51 COP 4,775

143.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.13 COP 3,576

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.08 COP 3,430

195.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$3.51 COP 11.1K

70.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$13.54 COP 42.9K

44.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.30 COP 4,117

116.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$2.41 COP 7,641

48.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.98 COP 3,092

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$1.52 COP 4,814

64.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.86 COP 5,891

-12.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$8.41 COP 26.7K

1.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.36 COP 4,318

14.71%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$23.9K COP 75.7M

-6.13%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$37.6K COP 119.2M

-5.36%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$112 COP 354.1K

-14.75%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$14.80 COP 46.9K

140.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$31.90 COP 101.1K

83.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$39.84 COP 126.3K

82.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$5.73 COP 18.2K

32.29%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$579 COP 1.8M

73.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$7,257 COP 23.0M

136.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$87.0 COP 276.0K

-19.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$62.2 COP 197.2K

-10.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$143 COP 454.3K

-9.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$115 COP 364.6K

13.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$619 COP 2.0M

49.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$531 COP 1.7M

45.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$908 COP 2.9M

116.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$986 COP 3.1M

30.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$2,225 COP 7.1M

2.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$1,737 COP 5.5M

5.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.58

-25.56%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Leticia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Leticia

$531 38.6% 31.4% $243

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Leticia

$281 20.4% 29.9% $120

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Leticia

$156 11.3% 32% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Leticia

$158 11.5% 16.4% $31

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Leticia

$183 13.3% 5.3% $9.3

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Leticia

$51 3.7% 41.6% $37

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Leticia

$15 * 1.1% 82% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in San Jose and $619 in Leticia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in San Jose vs $38.00 in Leticia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $281 per month, with Leticia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇴 Leticia

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

21:07 9:07 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

66,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Leticia 2,220 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Leticia

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 Leticia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leticia wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in San Jose. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Leticia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,907 in San Jose and $2,064 in Leticia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $927 in San Jose versus $619 in Leticia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in San Jose. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,938 per month in San Jose versus $1,376 in Leticia – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,376 in Leticia versus $1,938 in San Jose, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Leticia but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Leticia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Leticia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,376 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Leticia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Jose and Leticia 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 Leticia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.