Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Perez Zeledon

For one person, living is cheaper in Perez Zeledon: $1,317 a month against $2,105 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Perez Zeledon
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Perez Zeledon Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,105

/mo nomad

Perez Zeledon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,317

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Perez Zeledon

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

A single person spends $2,105 per month in San Jose vs $1,317 in Perez Zeledon, rent included.

San Jose $2,105
Perez Zeledon $1,317

A couple spends around $3,074 per month in San Jose vs $2,364 in Perez Zeledon, rent included.

San Jose $3,074
Perez Zeledon $2,364

A family of three spends $4,043 per month in San Jose vs $3,410 in Perez Zeledon, rent included.

San Jose $4,043
Perez Zeledon $3,410

San Jose costs about 60% more than Perez Zeledon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

San Jose sits 55% above the global median, while Perez Zeledon is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.43 ₡5,612

$9.09 ₡4,102

36.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.5K

$37.24 ₡16.8K

63.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 ₡5,291

$8.19 ₡3,699

43.10%

Cappuccino

$4.47 ₡2,020

$2.70 ₡1,217

65.56%

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

$2.75 ₡1,242

$1.97 ₡887

39.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₡867

$1.78 ₡805

7.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,471

$1.73 ₡780

88.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 ₡2,009

$3.21 ₡1,447

38.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,063

$1.60 ₡724

47.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₡1,393

$3.13 ₡1,413

-1.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 ₡1,084

$2.49 ₡1,122

-3.61%

Eggs

$3.44 ₡1,554

$2.49 ₡1,126

38.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.73 ₡4,843

$10.73 ₡4,846

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 ₡4,676

$10.28 ₡4,639

0.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 ₡6,246

$14.14 ₡6,384

-2.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 ₡2,324

$5.24 ₡2,365

-1.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡746

$1.08 ₡488

52.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.67 ₡2,110

$4.89 ₡2,206

-4.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 ₡1,799

$3.85 ₡1,737

3.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 ₡1,762

$3.72 ₡1,680

4.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 ₡1,648

$3.59 ₡1,622

1.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡488

$0.45 ₡205

140.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₡1,399

$3.09 ₡1,394

0.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 ₡2,746

$5.57 ₡2,516

9.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.05 ₡9,051

$19.80 ₡8,937

1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,252

$2.87 ₡1,297

-3.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 ₡1,667

$3.63 ₡1,638

1.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.81 ₡364

38.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 ₡30.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,123

$2.49 ₡1,126

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡736

$1.63 ₡737

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 ₡3,823

$8.76 ₡3,955

-3.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.52 ₡688

3.29%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$33.8K ₡15.2M

2.42%

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

$42.3K ₡19.1M

$42.1K ₡19.0M

0.53%

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

$93.2 ₡42.1K

$93.6 ₡42.2K

-0.45%

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

$36.05 ₡16.3K

$23.99 ₡10.8K

50.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.7K

$59.2 ₡26.7K

-0.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₡31.2K

$67.9 ₡30.7K

1.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.80 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ₡3,544

$7.67 ₡3,464

2.35%

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

$996 ₡449.6K

$498 ₡224.8K

99.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$17.3K ₡7.8M

-1.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 ₡31.7K

$71.8 ₡32.4K

-2.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 ₡24.9K

$55.0 ₡24.8K

0.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.6K

$128 ₡57.7K

1.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡59.2K

$133 ₡60.0K

-1.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 ₡525.5K

$402 ₡181.3K

189.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$945 ₡426.6K

$326 ₡147.1K

189.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 ₡899.8K

$2,133 ₡963.0K

-6.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 ₡633.7K

$1,260 ₡568.7K

11.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,727 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,040 ₡921.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,011 ₡456.3K

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 26, 2026

Last update for Perez Zeledon: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$945 44.9%

Perez Zeledon

$326 24.8% 65.5% $619

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 19%

Perez Zeledon

$383 29.1% 4.1% $16

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Perez Zeledon

$160 12.1% 31.2% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9%

Perez Zeledon

$177 13.4% 6.2% $12

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Perez Zeledon

$174 13.2% 0.3% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$85 4%

Perez Zeledon

$83 6.3% 1.7% $1.4

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 3.9%

Perez Zeledon

$14 * 1.1% 83% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,164 in San Jose versus $402 in Perez Zeledon. 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 in San Jose versus $37 in Perez Zeledon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $383 – making Perez Zeledon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇷 Perez Zeledon

🕒 Local time

23:44 11:44 PM

Same time as San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

135,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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San Jose Perez Zeledon 93 km

From you

San Jose
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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 Perez Zeledon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,158 per month in San Jose and $1,975 in Perez Zeledon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Perez Zeledon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $402 there versus $1,164 in San Jose.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,105 in San Jose and $1,317 in Perez Zeledon. That makes Perez Zeledon about 37% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $996 per month in San Jose and $498 in Perez Zeledon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Perez Zeledon, where all-in costs run around $1,317, than in San Jose at $2,105. In Perez Zeledon it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Perez Zeledon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.