Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Manizales

For one person, living is cheaper in Manizales: $1,275 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Manizales
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Manizales Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Manizales

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,275

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $1,275 in Manizales, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Manizales $1,275

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $1,924 in Manizales, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Manizales $1,924

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $2,573 in Manizales, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Manizales $2,573

San Jose costs about 52% more than Manizales, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Jose sits 44% above the global median, while Manizales is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$6.21 COP 19.7K

99.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$42.01 COP 133.2K

44.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$10.24 COP 32.5K

11.82%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$2.45 COP 7,753

79.18%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$1.37 COP 4,352

97.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$0.87 COP 2,744

121.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$1.58 COP 5,000

102.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$2.52 COP 8,003

75.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.63 COP 5,160

49.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$2.42 COP 7,658

26.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$1.71 COP 5,411

40.94%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$3.39 COP 10.8K

0.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$8.12 COP 25.8K

32.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$7.16 COP 22.7K

45.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$9.91 COP 31.4K

41.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$3.44 COP 10.9K

52.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.85 COP 5,860

-14.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$1.91 COP 6,072

145.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$1.72 COP 5,462

129.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$1.41 COP 4,470

178.01%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$1.42 COP 4,507

159.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.30 COP 4,125

-13.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.14 COP 3,619

179.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$4.50 COP 14.3K

33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$12.32 COP 39.1K

58.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.41 COP 4,467

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$2.91 COP 9,234

23.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.99 COP 3,146

13.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$1.53 COP 4,856

63.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.55 COP 4,908

5.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$9.27 COP 29.4K

-8.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.35 COP 4,269

15.56%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$23.2K COP 73.7M

-3.55%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$34.9K COP 110.5M

2.10%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$121 COP 384.5K

-21.48%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$11.79 COP 37.4K

201.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$29.70 COP 94.2K

97.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$47.38 COP 150.2K

53.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$8.03 COP 25.5K

-5.60%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$501 COP 1.6M

99.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$7,403 COP 23.5M

131.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$84.7 COP 268.6K

-16.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$47.88 COP 151.8K

16.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$142 COP 450.7K

-8.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$108 COP 341.7K

21.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$467 COP 1.5M

98.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$473 COP 1.5M

63.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$828 COP 2.6M

137.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$799 COP 2.5M

61.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$2,064 COP 6.5M

10.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$2,059 COP 6.5M

-11.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$1,197 COP 3.8M

-15.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-28.17%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Manizales: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Manizales

$473 37.1% 38.9% $301

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Manizales

$259 20.3% 35.5% $142

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Manizales

$132 10.3% 42.6% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Manizales

$163 12.8% 14.1% $27

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Manizales

$172 13.5% 1.1% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Manizales

$63 5% 27.8% $24

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Manizales

$13 * 1% 83.8% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $467 in Manizales. 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 18% higher in Manizales, 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 $61.0 in San Jose versus $42.00 in Manizales. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $259 – making Manizales the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇴 Manizales

🕒 Local time

13:34 1:34 PM

14:34 2:34 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

458,442

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Manizales 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Manizales

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 Manizales: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,938 in San Jose, $1,275 in Manizales – roughly 52% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $1,912 in Manizales. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,938 in San Jose and $1,275 in Manizales. That's a gap of about 52%.

Kindergarten costs $1,001 per month in San Jose and $501 in Manizales. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Manizales, where all-in costs run around $1,275, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Manizales it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,275 in Manizales to $1,938 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Manizales. 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.