Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and San Rafael, Costa Rica

For one person, living is cheaper in San Rafael: $1,718 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
83

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
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San Rafael Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

San Rafael

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $1,718 in San Rafael, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
San Rafael $1,718

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $2,741 in San Rafael, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
San Rafael $2,741

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $3,765 in San Rafael, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
San Rafael $3,765

San Jose costs about 23% more than San Rafael, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Jose and San Rafael sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, San Rafael by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,564

$12.45 ₡5,597

-0.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.1K

$62.3 ₡28.0K

0.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,265

$11.82 ₡5,315

-0.93%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$4.34 ₡1,951

4.61%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.61 ₡1,174

5.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.93 ₡866

-3.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,506

$3.30 ₡1,484

1.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,945

$4.46 ₡2,007

-3.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$2.31 ₡1,039

2.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$3.06 ₡1,375

0.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$2.39 ₡1,074

5.02%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.53 ₡1,589

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,739

$10.70 ₡4,813

-1.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,755

$10.61 ₡4,772

-0.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,262

$13.86 ₡6,232

0.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$5.12 ₡2,301

1.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡741

$1.60 ₡717

3.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$4.89 ₡2,197

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$3.82 ₡1,718

0.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$3.72 ₡1,671

5.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$3.71 ₡1,666

1.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.13 ₡509

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$3.20 ₡1,439

0.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,707

$6.00 ₡2,696

0.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,920

$19.67 ₡8,846

0.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,265

$2.87 ₡1,291

-2.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,644

$3.55 ₡1,595

2.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.35 ₡607

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$2.46 ₡1,107

-8.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.62 ₡728

9.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,552

$8.85 ₡3,978

-10.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.56 ₡702

-3.85%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$33.9K ₡15.3M

-1.36%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$42.2K ₡19.0M

0.19%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$96.5 ₡43.4K

-3.42%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$35.72 ₡16.1K

1.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$59.7 ₡26.9K

1.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$68.3 ₡30.7K

0.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,450

$7.73 ₡3,478

-0.78%

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

$972 ₡437.0K

$985 ₡442.8K

-1.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$16.9K ₡7.6M

11.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$72.3 ₡32.5K

-2.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$56.9 ₡25.6K

-0.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$127 ₡56.9K

1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$133 ₡59.6K

-1.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$795 ₡357.3K

47.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.2K

$621 ₡279.3K

51.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.1K

$1,888 ₡849.2K

5.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.6K

$1,271 ₡571.8K

10.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.7K

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Rafael: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

San Rafael

$621 36.1% 34.2% $322

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

San Rafael

$400 23.3% 0.6% $2.5

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

San Rafael

$231 13.4% 0.7% $1.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

San Rafael

$192 11.2% 1.1% $2

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

San Rafael

$175 10.2% 0.4% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

San Rafael

$84 4.9% 0.5% $0.5

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

San Rafael

$16 * 0.9% 80.2% $65

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $795 in San Rafael. 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 in San Jose versus $62 in San Rafael. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $400 in San Rafael – so San Rafael wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇷 San Rafael

🕒 Local time

14:56 2:56 PM

Same time as San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

30,000

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose San Rafael 6 km

From you

San Jose
San Rafael

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 San Rafael: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $2,577 in San Rafael. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Rafael, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $795 there versus $1,170 in San Jose.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $1,718 in San Rafael. That makes San Rafael about 18% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $972 per month in San Jose and $985 in San Rafael. 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 $2,107 in San Jose and $1,718 in San Rafael, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,718 in San Rafael to $2,107 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.