Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Manglaralto

For one person, living is cheaper in Manglaralto: $796 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Manglaralto
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Manglaralto Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Manglaralto

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$796

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $796 in Manglaralto, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Manglaralto $796

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $1,359 in Manglaralto, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Manglaralto $1,359

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $1,922 in Manglaralto, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Manglaralto $1,922

San Jose costs about 143% more than Manglaralto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Jose sits 44% above the global median, while Manglaralto is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$4.12 $4.12

200.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$52.7 $52.7

15.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$8.78 $8.78

30.41%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$2.89 $2.89

51.90%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$0.92 $0.92

193.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$0.71 $0.71

171.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$3.05 $3.05

4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$4.15 $4.15

6.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.21 $1.21

101.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$1.91 $1.91

59.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$1.46 $1.46

65.07%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$2.07 $2.07

64.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$7.07 $7.07

52.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$5.21 $5.21

100.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$9.26 $9.26

51.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$1.47 $1.47

257.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.18 $1.18

34.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$0.98 $0.98

378.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$0.91 $0.91

334.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$1.27 $1.27

208.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$0.98 $0.98

275.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.83 $0.83

34.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$0.95 $0.95

235.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$6.13 $6.13

-2.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$12.20 $12.20

60.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.56 $1.56

80.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$2.14 $2.14

67.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.36 $0.36

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$20.55 $20.55

225.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$1.33 $1.33

87.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.72 $1.72

-5.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$11.87 $11.87

-28.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.85 $0.85

83.53%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$21.3K $21.3K

5.21%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$31.8K $31.8K

11.75%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$40.29 $40.29

136.34%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$9.92 $9.92

258.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$25.75 $25.75

127.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$29.70 $29.70

144.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$14.44 $14.44

72.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$7.56 $7.56

0.26%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$368 $368

172.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$5,761 $5,761

197.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$65.8 $65.8

7.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$40.10 $40.10

39.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$127 $127

1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$92.7 $92.7

41.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$283 $283

227.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$173 $173

348.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$653 $653

201.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$390 $390

229.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$1,165 $1,165

95.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$723 $723

153.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.05

-14.23%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Manglaralto: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Manglaralto

$173 21.7% 77.7% $602

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Manglaralto

$200 25.2% 50% $201

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Manglaralto

$124 15.6% 45.9% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Manglaralto

$76 9.5% 59.9% $113

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Manglaralto

$147 18.4% 15.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Manglaralto

$45 5.6% 49% $43

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Manglaralto

$32 4% 61% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $283 in Manglaralto. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose versus $53.0 in Manglaralto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $200 – making Manglaralto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇪🇨 Manglaralto

🕒 Local time

18:25 6:25 PM

19:25 7:25 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Manglaralto 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Manglaralto

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 Manglaralto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 143%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $1,194 in Manglaralto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manglaralto, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 225% less in Manglaralto. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,001 per month in San Jose and $368 in Manglaralto. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Manglaralto, where all-in costs run around $796, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Manglaralto it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Manglaralto – 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 Manglaralto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.