Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Portoviejo

For one person, living is cheaper in Portoviejo: $807 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Portoviejo
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Portoviejo Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Portoviejo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$807

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in San Jose versus $807 in Portoviejo.

San Jose $1,938
Portoviejo $807

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,936 in San Jose versus $1,347 in Portoviejo.

San Jose $2,936
Portoviejo $1,347

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,934 in San Jose versus $1,888 in Portoviejo.

San Jose $3,934
Portoviejo $1,888

Living in San Jose is roughly 140% more expensive than in Portoviejo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Jose is 44% above, Portoviejo is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$4.07 $4.07

204.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$51.8 $51.8

17.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$9.19 $9.19

24.59%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$2.91 $2.91

50.86%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$0.89 $0.89

203.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$0.75 $0.75

157.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$3.04 $3.04

5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$4.19 $4.19

5.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.22 $1.22

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$1.98 $1.98

54.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$1.42 $1.42

69.72%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$2.04 $2.04

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$6.85 $6.85

56.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$5.11 $5.11

104.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$9.35 $9.35

49.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$1.53 $1.53

243.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.15 $1.15

38.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$0.99 $0.99

373.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$0.95 $0.95

315.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$1.23 $1.23

218.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$0.97 $0.97

279.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.82 $0.82

36.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$0.99 $0.99

222.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$5.87 $5.87

2.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$11.77 $11.77

66.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.58 $1.58

78.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$2.20 $2.20

63.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.36 $0.36

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$17.65 $17.65

278.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$1.37 $1.37

82.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.72 $1.72

-5.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$11.82 $11.82

-28.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.83 $0.83

87.95%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$20.6K $20.6K

8.75%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$31.0K $31.0K

14.84%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$39.37 $39.37

141.86%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$14.63 $14.63

143.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$25.63 $25.63

128.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$26.86 $26.86

170.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$17.76 $17.76

39.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$7.46 $7.46

1.61%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$378 $378

164.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$5,653 $5,653

203.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$65.3 $65.3

7.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$39.77 $39.77

40.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$125 $125

3.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$94.0 $94.0

39.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$296 $296

213.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$185 $185

317.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$719 $719

173.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$362 $362

256.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$1,183 $1,183

92.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$769 $769

138.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$327 $327

210.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.05

-14.23%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Portoviejo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Portoviejo

$185 23% 76.1% $589

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Portoviejo

$200 24.8% 50.2% $201

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Portoviejo

$125 15.5% 45.4% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Portoviejo

$80 9.9% 58% $110

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Portoviejo

$146 18.1% 16.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Portoviejo

$42 5.2% 52.4% $46

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Portoviejo

$29 3.6% 64.5% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in San Jose and $296 in Portoviejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose pays 210% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in San Jose vs $52.0 in Portoviejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $200 per month, with Portoviejo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇪🇨 Portoviejo

🕒 Local time

00:08 12:08 AM

01:08 1:08 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

180,641

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Portoviejo 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Portoviejo

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 Portoviejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portoviejo wins on cost – living expenses run 140% lower than in San Jose. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Portoviejo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 210% higher in San Jose, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $927 in San Jose versus $296 in Portoviejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in San Jose. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Portoviejo – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $61.0 in San Jose. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $807 in Portoviejo versus $1,938 in San Jose, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Portoviejo but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Portoviejo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Portoviejo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $807 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Portoviejo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Portoviejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.