Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Santa Teresa

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Teresa: $1,530 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
73

Cost of Living Index in Santa Teresa
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Santa Teresa Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Santa Teresa

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Santa Teresa

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

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $1,530 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Santa Teresa $1,530

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $2,295 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Santa Teresa $2,295

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $3,061 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Santa Teresa $3,061

San Jose costs about 38% more than Santa Teresa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Jose and Santa Teresa sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Santa Teresa by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,562

$9.90 ₡4,450

24.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$42.31 ₡19.0K

47.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,262

$9.71 ₡4,365

20.60%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,039

$3.70 ₡1,664

22.70%

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

$2.75 ₡1,237

$2.04 ₡915

34.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.63 ₡733

14.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$3.03 ₡1,363

10.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$4.55 ₡2,044

-5.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,060

$2.05 ₡923

15.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.82 ₡1,267

8.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$2.16 ₡970

16.20%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$2.98 ₡1,341

18.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,737

$10.01 ₡4,500

5.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,753

$8.97 ₡4,034

17.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,259

$13.60 ₡6,114

2.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,337

$4.56 ₡2,048

14.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.44 ₡649

14.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,197

$4.12 ₡1,852

18.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,727

$3.07 ₡1,382

25.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$3.39 ₡1,522

15.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,691

$2.58 ₡1,159

45.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.01 ₡454

10.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$2.85 ₡1,279

12.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$5.09 ₡2,287

18.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,916

$13.79 ₡6,198

43.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.36 ₡1,060

19.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.62 ₡1,177

39.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$0.96 ₡432

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$1.84 ₡828

22.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.83 ₡824

-2.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,550

$7.95 ₡3,573

-0.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡672

$1.46 ₡658

2.74%

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

$33.5K ₡15.0M

$38.4K ₡17.3M

-12.80%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$32.7K ₡14.7M

29.22%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$84.9 ₡38.2K

9.76%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$26.16 ₡11.8K

38.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$50.4 ₡22.7K

20.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$50.1 ₡22.5K

37.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$23.66 ₡10.6K

5.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,448

$8.89 ₡3,995

-13.72%

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

$972 ₡436.8K

$573 ₡257.3K

69.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$12.4K ₡5.6M

51.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.7K

$61.8 ₡27.8K

14.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$51.2 ₡23.0K

10.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$127 ₡57.3K

0.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$107 ₡47.9K

22.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.7K

$706 ₡317.6K

65.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.0K

$592 ₡266.0K

59.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡891.7K

$1,461 ₡656.5K

35.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.4K

$955 ₡429.1K

46.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.17

-15.24%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Teresa: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Santa Teresa

$592 38.7% 37.3% $351

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Santa Teresa

$346 22.6% 14% $56

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Santa Teresa

$192 12.5% 17.5% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Santa Teresa

$161 10.6% 15% $28

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Santa Teresa

$156 10.2% 10.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Santa Teresa

$68 4.4% 19.5% $16

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Santa Teresa

$15 * 1% 81.6% $66

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 $706 in Santa Teresa. 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 $42 in Santa Teresa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $346 – making Santa Teresa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇷 Santa Teresa

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

Same time as San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

3,099

💱 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 Santa Teresa 120 km

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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 Santa Teresa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 38%, 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 $2,295 in Santa Teresa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Teresa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $706 there versus $1,170 in San Jose.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $1,530 in Santa Teresa. That makes Santa Teresa about 27% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $972 per month in San Jose and $573 in Santa Teresa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,107 in San Jose and $1,530 in Santa Teresa. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Teresa costs $1,530 versus $2,107 in San Jose. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.