Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: $1,632 a month against $2,105 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon
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Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,105

/mo nomad

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,105 per month in San Jose vs $1,632 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent included.

San Jose $2,105
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $1,632

A couple spends around $3,074 per month in San Jose vs $2,532 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent included.

San Jose $3,074
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $2,532

A family of three spends $4,043 per month in San Jose vs $3,432 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent included.

San Jose $4,043
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $3,432

San Jose costs about 29% more than Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon sit above the global median – San Jose by 55%, Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.43 ₡5,612

$12.18 ₡5,500

2.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.5K

$43.30 ₡19.5K

40.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 ₡5,291

$10.95 ₡4,944

7.03%

Cappuccino

$4.47 ₡2,020

$3.88 ₡1,752

15.21%

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

$2.75 ₡1,242

$2.42 ₡1,094

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₡867

$1.82 ₡823

5.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,471

$3.21 ₡1,447

1.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 ₡2,009

$4.10 ₡1,849

8.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,063

$2.00 ₡902

18.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₡1,393

$3.07 ₡1,386

0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 ₡1,084

$2.44 ₡1,101

-1.64%

Eggs

$3.44 ₡1,554

$3.08 ₡1,390

11.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.73 ₡4,843

$6.46 ₡2,915

66.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 ₡4,676

$7.56 ₡3,412

37.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 ₡6,246

$14.18 ₡6,400

-2.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 ₡2,324

$2.72 ₡1,226

89.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡746

$1.11 ₡501

48.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.67 ₡2,110

$1.30 ₡587

259.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 ₡1,799

$1.71 ₡773

132.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 ₡1,762

$2.66 ₡1,199

46.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 ₡1,648

$2.02 ₡911

80.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡488

$0.65 ₡292

66.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₡1,399

$1.93 ₡869

60.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 ₡2,746

$3.22 ₡1,452

88.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.05 ₡9,051

$15.19 ₡6,859

31.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,252

$2.89 ₡1,306

-4.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 ₡1,667

$3.53 ₡1,594

4.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.35 ₡611

-17.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 ₡30.1K

$43.19 ₡19.5K

54.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,123

$1.76 ₡793

41.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡736

$1.60 ₡723

1.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 ₡3,823

$8.83 ₡3,986

-4.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.51 ₡680

3.97%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$34.1K ₡15.4M

1.51%

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

$42.3K ₡19.1M

$41.6K ₡18.8M

1.81%

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

$93.2 ₡42.1K

$94.8 ₡42.8K

-1.69%

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

$36.05 ₡16.3K

$35.25 ₡15.9K

2.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.7K

$33.45 ₡15.1K

76.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₡31.2K

$67.7 ₡30.6K

1.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.80 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ₡3,544

$7.57 ₡3,420

3.70%

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

$996 ₡449.6K

$987 ₡445.4K

0.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$17.4K ₡7.9M

-2.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 ₡31.7K

$65.2 ₡29.4K

7.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 ₡24.9K

$26.77 ₡12.1K

106.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.6K

$99.1 ₡44.7K

30.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡59.2K

$54.5 ₡24.6K

140.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 ₡525.5K

$890 ₡401.6K

30.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$945 ₡426.6K

$703 ₡317.2K

34.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 ₡899.8K

$2,029 ₡915.9K

-1.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 ₡633.7K

$1,387 ₡626.3K

1.18%

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

$998 ₡450.6K

1.26%

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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$945 44.9%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$703 43% 25.7% $242

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 19%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$296 18.1% 25.9% $103

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$218 13.4% 6.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$163 10% 13.2% $25

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$110 6.8% 36.4% $63

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$85 4%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$83 5.1% 2.2% $1.9

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 3.9%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$58 3.6% 28.7% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,164 in San Jose versus $890 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. 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 $43 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $296 – making Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇷 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🕒 Local time

21:40 9:40 PM

Same time as San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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San Jose Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 200 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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,105 in San Jose, $1,632 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon – Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,158 per month in San Jose and $2,448 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $890 there versus $1,164 in San Jose.

Public transport costs about 35% less in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $996 per month in San Jose and $987 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,105 in San Jose and $1,632 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon costs $1,632 versus $2,105 in San Jose. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

For expats, Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 22% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.