Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Marsh Harbour

For one person, living is cheaper in Marsh Harbour: $496 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Marsh Harbour

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$496

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Marsh Harbour

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in San Jose versus $496 in Marsh Harbour.

San Jose $2,107
Marsh Harbour $496

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $732 in Marsh Harbour.

San Jose $3,081
Marsh Harbour $732

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $968 in Marsh Harbour.

San Jose $4,054
Marsh Harbour $968

Living in San Jose is roughly 325% more expensive than in Marsh Harbour, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Jose is 56% above, Marsh Harbour is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$8.54 BSD 8.54

-72.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$5.25 BSD 5.25

-41.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$3.71 BSD 3.71

-32.35%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$7.12 BSD 7.12

-50.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$3.20 BSD 3.20

229.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$7.61 BSD 7.61

-31.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$7.23 BSD 7.23

-84.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.74 BSD 1.74

-13.79%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$35.45 BSD 35.45

1.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$121 BSD 121

-50.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$81.4 BSD 81.4

-15.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$1,524 BSD 1,524

-36.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Marsh Harbour: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Marsh Harbour

–

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Marsh Harbour

–

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Marsh Harbour

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Marsh Harbour

–

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Marsh Harbour

–

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Marsh Harbour

–

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Marsh Harbour

–

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇧🇸 Marsh Harbour

🕒 Local time

14:57 2:57 PM

15:57 3:57 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

5,314

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BSD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Marsh Harbour 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Marsh Harbour

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 Marsh Harbour: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marsh Harbour wins on cost – living expenses run 76% lower than in San Jose. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Marsh Harbour the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,161 in San Jose and $744 in Marsh Harbour to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you’ll spend $2,107 per month in San Jose versus $496 in Marsh Harbour – Marsh Harbour is about 76% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in San Jose. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $496 in Marsh Harbour versus $2,107 in San Jose, a $800 budget is realistic in Marsh Harbour but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Marsh Harbour the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.