Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Peterborough, Canada

For one person, living costs are similar in San Jose and in Peterborough: $2,107 and $2,107 a month, rent and utilities included.

San Jose, Costa Rica
Peterborough, Canada
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,107
/mo nomad
Peterborough
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,107
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

  • San Jose $2,107
  • Peterborough $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in San Jose versus $3,050 in Peterborough.

  • San Jose $3,081
  • Peterborough $3,050

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,054 in San Jose versus $3,993 in Peterborough.

  • San Jose $4,054
  • Peterborough $3,993

Monthly costs are close between San Jose and Peterborough; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 56% above, Peterborough 56% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Jose
Peterborough
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.37 ₡5,563
$11.60 CA$16.26
6.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.4 ₡28.0K
$72.0 CA$101
-13.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.71 ₡5,264
$10.75 CA$15.07
8.93%
Cappuccino
$4.54 ₡2,040
$3.83 CA$5.37
18.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 ₡1,238
$1.81 CA$2.53
51.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 ₡837
$1.47 CA$2.06
26.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.35 ₡1,505
$5.28 CA$7.40
-36.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.32 ₡1,944
$5.82 CA$8.16
-25.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Jose
Peterborough
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.36 ₡1,061
$2.59 CA$3.62
-8.88%
White Bread (500g)
$3.07 ₡1,379
$2.45 CA$3.44
25.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,128
$2.48 CA$3.48
1.21%
Eggs
$3.53 ₡1,585
$3.26 CA$4.57
8.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.54 ₡4,738
$10.86 CA$15.23
-2.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.57 ₡4,754
$11.11 CA$15.58
-4.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.92 ₡6,261
$12.80 CA$17.95
8.75%
Apples (1kg)
$5.20 ₡2,338
$3.35 CA$4.70
55.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 ₡740
$1.44 CA$2.02
14.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.89 ₡2,198
$3.51 CA$4.92
39.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.84 ₡1,728
$4.13 CA$5.79
-7.02%
Potato (1kg)
$3.91 ₡1,757
$1.63 CA$2.28
139.88%
Onion (1kg)
$3.76 ₡1,692
$2.31 CA$3.24
62.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ₡504
$2.27 CA$3.19
-50.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.22 ₡1,447
$1.49 CA$2.08
116.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.02 ₡2,706
$11.57 CA$16.22
-47.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.84 ₡8,919
$12.62 CA$17.69
57.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.81 ₡1,264
$2.42 CA$3.40
16.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.65 ₡1,643
$1.63 CA$2.28
123.93%
🚌 Getting Around
San Jose
Peterborough
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.08 ₡487
$2.46 CA$3.45
-56.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.2 ₡29.3K
$54.3 CA$76.2
20.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.26 ₡1,018
$3.09 CA$4.33
-26.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.78 ₡799
$1.25 CA$1.76
42.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.90 ₡3,551
$21.57 CA$30.23
-63.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 ₡673
$1.18 CA$1.65
27.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.5K ₡15.1M
$26.4K CA$37.0K
26.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.3K ₡19.0M
$21.1K CA$29.6K
100.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose
Peterborough
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.2 ₡41.9K
$140 CA$197
-33.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.13 ₡16.2K
$35.14 CA$49.25
2.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.6 ₡27.2K
$44.89 CA$62.9
34.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Jose
Peterborough
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.9 ₡31.0K
$37.59 CA$52.7
83.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.94 ₡11.2K
$14.21 CA$19.92
75.51%
Cinema Ticket
$7.67 ₡3,449
$11.50 CA$16.12
-33.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Jose
Peterborough
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$972 ₡436.9K
$344 CA$482
182.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.9K ₡8.5M
$15.6K CA$21.9K
21.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Jose
Peterborough
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.6 ₡31.8K
$46.52 CA$65.2
51.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.7 ₡25.5K
$37.93 CA$53.2
49.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$129 ₡57.8K
$88.1 CA$123
46.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 ₡58.8K
$73.9 CA$104
77.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Jose
Peterborough
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 ₡525.9K
$1,376 CA$1,928
-14.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$943 ₡424.1K
$1,083 CA$1,517
-12.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,984 ₡892.0K
$2,057 CA$2,883
-3.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,400 ₡629.5K
$1,631 CA$2,286
-14.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,681 ₡1.2M
$6,479 CA$9,082
-58.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,037 ₡915.8K
$6,365 CA$8,922
-68.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Jose
Peterborough
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$987 ₡443.6K
$3,017 CA$4,229
-67.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
4.55
89.45%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Peterborough: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Jose
$943
Peterborough
$1.1K 14.8% $139
Groceries & Markets
San Jose
$403
Peterborough
$337 16.3% $66
Eating Out
San Jose
$232
Peterborough
$222 4.4% $10
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose
$190
Peterborough
$220 16% $30
Clothing & Footwear
San Jose
$174
Peterborough
$111 36.3% $63
Sport & Entertainment
San Jose
$84
Peterborough
$61 28.1% $24
Getting Around
San Jose
$81
Peterborough
$74 8.9% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in San Jose and $1,376 in Peterborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Peterborough pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in San Jose vs $72 in Peterborough. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $337, with Peterborough cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇷 San Jose
🇨🇦 Peterborough
🕒 Local time
04:46 4:46 AM
05:46 5:46 AM
1 h ahead of San Jose
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
342,188 Capital
81,032
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Jose Peterborough 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • San Jose
  • Peterborough

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 Peterborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Where can you earn more: San Jose or Peterborough?
On paper, salaries run 67% lower in San Jose. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between San Jose and Peterborough?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,376 in Peterborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Peterborough runs roughly 17% less than in San Jose. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
How do food prices compare in San Jose and in Peterborough?
Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in San Jose. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $2,500 enough for either San Jose or Peterborough?
Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Peterborough gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in San Jose or in Peterborough?
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.

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