Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Manta

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $678 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Manta
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Manta Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Manta

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in San Jose versus $678 in Manta.

San Jose $1,938
Manta $678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,936 in San Jose versus $1,157 in Manta.

San Jose $2,936
Manta $1,157

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,934 in San Jose versus $1,636 in Manta.

San Jose $3,934
Manta $1,636

Living in San Jose is roughly 186% more expensive than in Manta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Jose is 44% above, Manta is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$2.96 $2.96

318.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$52.2 $52.2

16.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$5.39 $5.39

112.43%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$2.92 $2.92

50.34%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$0.52 $0.52

419.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$0.38 $0.38

407.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$2.97 $2.97

7.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$3.72 $3.72

18.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.03 $1.03

136.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$1.91 $1.91

59.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$0.98 $0.98

145.92%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$2.13 $2.13

59.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$2.98 $2.98

260.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$2.98 $2.98

250.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$6.83 $6.83

104.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$0.97 $0.97

441.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$0.78 $0.78

103.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$0.71 $0.71

560.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$0.78 $0.78

406.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$0.52 $0.52

653.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$0.48 $0.48

666.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.69 $0.69

62.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$0.99 $0.99

222.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$4.08 $4.08

47.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$6.89 $6.89

183.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.03 $1.03

173.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$2.20 $2.20

63.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.50 $0.50

124.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$1.70 $1.70

47.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.74 $1.74

-6.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$9.27 $9.27

-8.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.72 $0.72

116.67%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$20.7K $20.7K

8.43%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$30.8K $30.8K

15.53%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$97.1 $97.1

-1.97%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$11.13 $11.13

219.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$25.84 $25.84

126.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$20.23 $20.23

259.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$34.58 $34.58

-28.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$4.89 $4.89

55.01%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$369 $369

171.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$5,783 $5,783

196.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$55.2 $55.2

27.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$40.87 $40.87

36.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$101 $101

28.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$61.8 $61.8

111.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$303 $303

205.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$141 $141

447.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$917 $917

114.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$334 $334

285.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$474 $474

114.56%

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 Manta: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Manta

$141 20.9% 81.7% $633

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Manta

$143 21.1% 64.3% $258

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Manta

$101 14.9% 56.1% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Manta

$134 19.8% 29.2% $55

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Manta

$116 17.2% 33.2% $58

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Manta

$30 4.4% 65.8% $58

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Manta

$12 * 1.8% 84.9% $70

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 $303 in Manta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose pays 115% 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 $52.0 in Manta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $143 per month, with Manta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇪🇨 Manta

🕒 Local time

20:26 8:26 PM

21:26 9:26 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

217,553

💱 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 Manta 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Manta

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 Manta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manta is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 186% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 115% 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 $303 in Manta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,001 in San Jose versus $369 in Manta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Manta – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $61.0 in San Jose. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $678 in Manta versus $1,938 in San Jose, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manta but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Manta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manta 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 Manta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 186% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.