Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Longueuil

For one person, living is cheaper in Longueuil: $1,981 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Longueuil
Learn more

Longueuil Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Longueuil

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,981

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $1,981 in Longueuil, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Longueuil $1,981

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $2,940 in Longueuil, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Longueuil $2,940

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $3,898 in Longueuil, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Longueuil $3,898

San Jose costs about 6% more than Longueuil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Longueuil sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Longueuil by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,546

$19.25 CA$27.19

-35.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$73.9 CA$104

-15.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,248

$11.26 CA$15.90

4.00%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,034

$3.69 CA$5.21

23.04%

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

$2.75 ₡1,234

$2.06 CA$2.91

33.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡835

$1.63 CA$2.31

14.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,501

$5.79 CA$8.19

-42.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,938

$7.01 CA$9.90

-38.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,057

$2.06 CA$2.91

14.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,375

$3.10 CA$4.38

-0.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,124

$3.15 CA$4.46

-20.32%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,580

$3.51 CA$4.96

0.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,724

$13.47 CA$19.03

-21.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,740

$11.52 CA$16.27

-8.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,242

$10.76 CA$15.20

29.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,331

$3.48 CA$4.92

49.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡738

$1.47 CA$2.08

12.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,191

$3.55 CA$5.01

37.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,722

$3.20 CA$4.52

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,752

$1.96 CA$2.77

99.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,687

$1.80 CA$2.54

108.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.53 CA$3.58

-55.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,443

$1.58 CA$2.23

103.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,698

$11.54 CA$16.30

-47.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,892

$10.68 CA$15.09

85.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,261

$3.23 CA$4.57

-13.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,638

$3.32 CA$4.70

9.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.74 CA$3.88

-60.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.2K

$87.7 CA$124

-25.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,015

$2.95 CA$4.17

-23.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡797

$1.46 CA$2.06

21.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,540

$33.69 CA$47.59

-76.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡671

$1.35 CA$1.91

11.11%

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

$33.5K ₡15.0M

$28.4K CA$40.1K

17.90%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$22.9K CA$32.3K

84.98%

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

$93.2 ₡41.8K

$77.1 CA$109

20.84%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$34.88 CA$49.28

3.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$45.69 CA$64.6

32.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡30.9K

$31.35 CA$44.28

119.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$16.12 CA$22.78

54.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,439

$11.04 CA$15.60

-30.53%

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

$972 ₡435.6K

$680 CA$960

42.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$10.8K CA$15.2K

75.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.7K

$59.1 CA$83.4

19.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.4K

$38.39 CA$54.2

47.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.7K

$90.0 CA$127

42.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$108 CA$153

21.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡524.3K

$969 CA$1,369

20.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡422.8K

$890 CA$1,258

5.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡889.3K

$1,697 CA$2,398

16.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡627.6K

$1,318 CA$1,863

6.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$3,598 CA$5,084

-25.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡913.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡442.3K

$2,704 CA$3,820

-63.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.51

91.13%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Longueuil: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Longueuil

$890 44.9% 5.6% $53

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Longueuil

$348 17.6% 13.6% $55

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Longueuil

$290 14.6% 24.7% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Longueuil

$158 8% 17% $32

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Longueuil

$133 6.7% 23.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Longueuil

$53 2.7% 36.6% $31

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Longueuil

$109 5.5% 35% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $969 in Longueuil. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Longueuil are about 2.7 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $74 in Longueuil. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $348 in Longueuil – so Longueuil wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Longueuil

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

21:59 9:59 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

254,483

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 2 EUR

1 CAD = 0.708 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 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 7, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 501 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.708 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Longueuil 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Longueuil

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 Longueuil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose costs about 6% more than Longueuil, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $2,971 in Longueuil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Longueuil, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $969 there versus $1,170 in San Jose.

Kindergarten costs $972 per month in San Jose and $680 in Longueuil. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in San Jose, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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