Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Los Cabos

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Cabos: $1,371 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Los Cabos
Learn more

Los Cabos Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Los Cabos

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Los Cabos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in San Jose versus $1,371 in Los Cabos.

San Jose $1,938
Los Cabos $1,371

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,936 in San Jose versus $2,211 in Los Cabos.

San Jose $2,936
Los Cabos $2,211

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,934 in San Jose versus $3,051 in Los Cabos.

San Jose $3,934
Los Cabos $3,051

Living in San Jose is roughly 41% more expensive than in Los Cabos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$22.30 MX$412

-44.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$43.70 MX$807

39.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$13.76 MX$254

-16.79%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$5.22 MX$96.5

-15.90%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$2.30 MX$42.51

17.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$2.06 MX$38.06

-6.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$4.99 MX$92.2

-35.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$8.36 MX$154

-47.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.65 MX$30.46

47.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$2.86 MX$52.8

6.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$2.38 MX$44.07

1.26%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$2.41 MX$44.49

41.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$8.96 MX$166

19.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$9.56 MX$177

9.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$17.76 MX$328

-21.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$4.13 MX$76.4

27.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.78 MX$32.89

-10.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$2.93 MX$54.2

60.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$2.53 MX$46.70

56.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$2.34 MX$43.16

67.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$2.53 MX$46.73

45.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.24 MX$22.99

-9.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$0.86 MX$15.94

270.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$4.52 MX$83.6

32.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$10.32 MX$191

89.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.61 MX$29.70

75.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$3.13 MX$57.8

14.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.41 MX$25.98

-20.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.66 MX$49.20

-6.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.93 MX$35.59

-15.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$11.63 MX$215

-26.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.38 MX$25.43

13.04%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$21.0K MX$388.2K

6.68%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$24.3K MX$449.9K

46.14%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$58.6 MX$1,083

62.52%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$27.70 MX$512

28.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$24.59 MX$454

138.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$34.48 MX$637

110.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$20.05 MX$371

23.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$4.28 MX$79.1

77.10%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$215 MX$3,971

365.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$4,652 MX$86.0K

268.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$93.3 MX$1,724

-24.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$40.63 MX$751

37.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$124 MX$2,298

4.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$89.7 MX$1,657

45.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$612 MX$11.3K

51.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$391 MX$7,226

98.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$1,044 MX$19.3K

88.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$781 MX$14.4K

64.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$1,933 MX$35.7K

17.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$1,131 MX$20.9K

61.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$811 MX$15.0K

25.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.3

-23.72%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Los Cabos

$391 28.5% 49.5% $383

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Los Cabos

$310 22.6% 22.6% $91

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Los Cabos

$341 24.9% 48.9% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Los Cabos

$111 8.1% 41.5% $79

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Los Cabos

$157 11.4% 10.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Los Cabos

$43 3.1% 51% $45

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Los Cabos

$18 * 1.3% 78.1% $64

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 $612 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose pays 25% 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: $61.0 in San Jose vs $44.00 in Los Cabos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $310 per month, with Los Cabos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇲🇽 Los Cabos

🕒 Local time

08:44 8:44 AM

07:44 7:44 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

202,694

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Los Cabos 3,100 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Los Cabos

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 Los Cabos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Cabos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $927 in San Jose versus $612 in Los Cabos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% 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 $1,371 in Los Cabos – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,371 in Los Cabos versus $1,938 in San Jose, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Los Cabos but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Los Cabos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Los Cabos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in San Jose, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Los Cabos 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.