Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Ojochal

For one person, living is cheaper in Ojochal: $1,687 a month against $1,924 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Ojochal
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Ojochal Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Ojochal

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,687

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $1,687 in Ojochal, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Ojochal $1,687

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $2,675 in Ojochal, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Ojochal $2,675

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $3,664 in Ojochal, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Ojochal $3,664

San Jose costs about 14% more than Ojochal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Jose and Ojochal sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Ojochal by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$11.90 ₡5,338

3.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$57.3 ₡25.7K

8.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$11.51 ₡5,161

0.17%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$4.16 ₡1,865

4.57%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.65 ₡1,186

-0.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$1.87 ₡839

-0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$3.36 ₡1,505

-1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$4.38 ₡1,963

3.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$2.34 ₡1,051

2.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$2.78 ₡1,247

10.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.50 ₡1,123

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$3.40 ₡1,527

2.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$10.83 ₡4,856

-0.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$10.61 ₡4,758

-2.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$13.86 ₡6,217

1.73%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$5.22 ₡2,339

-3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.63 ₡732

-2.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$3.27 ₡1,467

48.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$3.45 ₡1,546

14.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$2.99 ₡1,339

25.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$3.05 ₡1,370

22.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$1.12 ₡503

-3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$2.67 ₡1,197

21.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$5.59 ₡2,508

4.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$16.23 ₡7,281

24.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.56 ₡1,150

13.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$2.70 ₡1,209

38.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$1.35 ₡604

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$2.42 ₡1,085

3.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.64 ₡733

-0.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$8.74 ₡3,921

-0.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$1.50 ₡673

5.33%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

55.61%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$35.4K ₡15.9M

17.62%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$95.2 ₡42.7K

-1.67%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$29.51 ₡13.2K

20.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$59.4 ₡26.6K

0.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$72.2 ₡32.4K

0.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$7.74 ₡3,470

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$851 ₡381.6K

18.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$17.0K ₡7.6M

-0.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$72.6 ₡32.5K

0.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$56.0 ₡25.1K

-0.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$129 ₡57.9K

-0.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$132 ₡59.2K

-1.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$812 ₡364.3K

14.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$631 ₡282.8K

20.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$1,880 ₡843.1K

2.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$1,277 ₡572.5K

-0.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

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: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ojochal: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Ojochal

$631 37.4% 17% $129

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Ojochal

$370 22% 8.1% $33

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Ojochal

$223 13.2% 2.5% $5.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Ojochal

$184 10.9% 2.6% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Ojochal

$175 10.4% 0.7% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Ojochal

$88 5.2% 0.5% $0.4

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Ojochal

$16 * 1% 80.1% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $812 in Ojochal. 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 $62.0 in San Jose versus $57.0 in Ojochal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $370 – making Ojochal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇷 Ojochal

🕒 Local time

07:15 7:15 AM

Same time as San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

6,540

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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San Jose Ojochal 70 km

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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 Ojochal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,924 in San Jose, $1,687 in Ojochal – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $2,531 in Ojochal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ojochal, 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 $1,924 in San Jose and $1,687 in Ojochal. That's a gap of about 14%.

Kindergarten costs $1,005 per month in San Jose and $851 in Ojochal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Ojochal, where all-in costs run around $1,687, than in San Jose at $1,924. In Ojochal 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 $1,687 in Ojochal to $1,924 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 Ojochal. 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.