Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Nakusp

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,337 in Nakusp, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nakusp outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Nakusp
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Nakusp Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Nakusp

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,337

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $2,337 in Nakusp, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Nakusp $2,337

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $3,158 in Nakusp, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Nakusp $3,158

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $3,979 in Nakusp, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Nakusp $3,979

San Jose is about 17% cheaper than Nakusp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Nakusp sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, Nakusp by 73%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$15.44 CA$21.83

-19.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$74.2 CA$105

-17.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$9.41 CA$13.31

21.68%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$3.24 CA$4.58

35.49%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$1.75 CA$2.48

54.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$1.47 CA$2.07

31.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$5.58 CA$7.89

-42.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$5.21 CA$7.36

-15.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$2.00 CA$2.82

22.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$2.52 CA$3.56

21.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$3.28 CA$4.64

-26.52%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$3.34 CA$4.73

1.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$9.67 CA$13.68

11.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$11.30 CA$15.98

-7.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$14.55 CA$20.57

-3.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$3.66 CA$5.18

43.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.27 CA$1.80

25.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$3.68 CA$5.20

27.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$3.80 CA$5.37

3.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$2.41 CA$3.41

62.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$2.22 CA$3.14

65.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.47 CA$3.49

-54.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.62 CA$2.30

96.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$14.26 CA$20.16

-57.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$12.67 CA$17.91

54.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$2.25 CA$3.19

25.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$2.99 CA$4.22

20.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.53 CA$3.58

-55.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$52.4 CA$74.1

27.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.60 CA$3.68

-3.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.35 CA$1.91

20.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$20.65 CA$29.20

-58.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.99 CA$1.40

57.58%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$24.9K CA$35.3K

-10.16%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$18.9K CA$26.7K

88.53%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$135 CA$191

-29.44%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$33.66 CA$47.59

5.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$54.3 CA$76.7

8.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$40.10 CA$56.7

81.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$17.19 CA$24.30

44.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$10.68 CA$15.10

-29.03%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$663 CA$937

51.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$11.3K CA$16.0K

51.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$53.2 CA$75.2

32.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$38.65 CA$54.6

44.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$76.3 CA$108

69.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$93.0 CA$131

40.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$1,425 CA$2,015

-34.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$1,277 CA$1,805

-39.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$1,867 CA$2,639

5.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$1,526 CA$2,157

-15.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$4,630 CA$6,546

-50.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$3,526 CA$4,984

-48.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.66

84.98%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nakusp: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Nakusp

$1.3K 54.6% 64.9% $503

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Nakusp

$344 14.7% 14.2% $57

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Nakusp

$242 10.4% 5.5% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Nakusp

$223 9.5% 17.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Nakusp

$118 5% 32.5% $57

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Nakusp

$61 2.6% 30% $26

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Nakusp

$72 3.1% 12.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $1,425 in Nakusp. 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 $74.0 in Nakusp. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in San Jose vs $344 in Nakusp – so Nakusp wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Nakusp

🕒 Local time

14:26 2:26 PM

13:26 1:26 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

1,706

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Nakusp 5,440 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Nakusp

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 Nakusp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nakusp costs about 21% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $3,505 in Nakusp. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose and $74.0 in Nakusp. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,938 in San Jose and $2,337 in Nakusp. That's a gap of about 21%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Nakusp at $2,337. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nakusp it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,938 versus $2,337 in Nakusp. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nakusp makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.