Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Sault Ste. Marie

For one person, living costs are similar in San Jose and in Sault Ste. Marie: $2,107 and $2,095 a month, rent and utilities included.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Sault Ste. Marie
Learn more

Sault Ste. Marie Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Sault Ste. Marie

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,095

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Sault Ste. Marie

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 Sault Ste. Marie actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,095 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Sault Ste. Marie $2,095

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,017 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Sault Ste. Marie $3,017

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $3,939 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Sault Ste. Marie $3,939

San Jose and Sault Ste. Marie have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both San Jose and Sault Ste. Marie sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Sault Ste. Marie by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$16.99 CA$23.89

-27.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$72.8 CA$102

-14.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$10.59 CA$14.90

10.58%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$3.65 CA$5.13

24.38%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$1.81 CA$2.54

51.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.20 CA$1.68

55.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$4.59 CA$6.45

-27.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$5.06 CA$7.11

-14.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$2.41 CA$3.38

-2.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.13 CA$2.99

44.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$3.20 CA$4.51

-21.56%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$2.97 CA$4.18

18.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$8.65 CA$12.17

21.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$9.90 CA$13.92

6.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$11.57 CA$16.27

20.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$2.88 CA$4.05

80.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$0.97 CA$1.37

70.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$2.98 CA$4.19

64.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$3.71 CA$5.22

3.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.03 CA$2.86

92.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$1.62 CA$2.27

132.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.91 CA$4.09

-61.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.22 CA$1.71

163.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$15.63 CA$21.97

-61.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$10.58 CA$14.88

87.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.84 CA$2.58

52.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.39 CA$3.36

52.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.56 CA$3.60

-57.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$57.7 CA$81.2

13.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.66 CA$5.15

-38.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$2.43 CA$3.41

-26.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$23.16 CA$32.58

-65.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.09 CA$1.53

37.61%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$26.7K CA$37.6K

25.35%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$20.4K CA$28.7K

107.46%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$181 CA$255

-48.65%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$45.21 CA$63.6

-20.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$77.6 CA$109

-21.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$31.08 CA$43.71

121.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$18.21 CA$25.61

36.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$11.57 CA$16.27

-33.71%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$4,992 CA$7,021

278.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$45.95 CA$64.6

53.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$36.05 CA$50.7

57.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$75.5 CA$106

70.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$117 CA$165

11.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,062 CA$1,494

10.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$971 CA$1,365

-2.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$1,545 CA$2,173

28.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,442 CA$2,028

-2.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$3,418 CA$4,806

-21.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$3,362 CA$4,728

-39.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,058 CA$4,300

-67.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.53

55.88%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Sault Ste. Marie

$971 46.3% 2.9% $28

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Sault Ste. Marie

$302 14.4% 25.1% $101

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Sault Ste. Marie

$257 12.3% 10.4% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Sault Ste. Marie

$304 14.5% 60.2% $114

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Sault Ste. Marie

$124 5.9% 29% $51

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Sault Ste. Marie

$54 2.6% 35.7% $30

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Sault Ste. Marie

$84 4% 3.8% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,062 in Sault Ste. Marie. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sault Ste. Marie are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $73 in Sault Ste. Marie. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $302 in Sault Ste. Marie – so Sault Ste. Marie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Sault Ste. Marie

🕒 Local time

08:38 8:38 AM

09:38 9:38 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

73,368

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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 = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Sault Ste. Marie 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Sault Ste. Marie

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 Sault Ste. Marie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,142 in Sault Ste. Marie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,170 in San Jose and $1,062 in Sault Ste. Marie. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 12% less in Sault Ste. Marie. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $73 in Sault Ste. Marie. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,107 in San Jose and $2,095 in Sault Ste. Marie, 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 $2,095 in Sault Ste. Marie to $2,107 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.