Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Squamish, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,634 in Squamish, BC, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Squamish, BC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Squamish, BC
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Squamish, BC Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Squamish, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Squamish, BC

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $2,634 in Squamish, BC, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Squamish, BC $2,634

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $3,904 in Squamish, BC, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Squamish, BC $3,904

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $5,175 in Squamish, BC, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Squamish, BC $5,175

San Jose is about 26% cheaper than Squamish, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both San Jose and Squamish, BC sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, Squamish, BC by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,559

$16.19 CA$23.02

-23.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$48.77 CA$69.3

24.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,143

$10.01 CA$14.23

14.39%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,970

$3.94 CA$5.60

11.42%

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

$2.70 ₡1,213

$1.79 CA$2.54

50.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡865

$1.47 CA$2.09

31.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,435

$5.57 CA$7.92

-42.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,981

$5.63 CA$8.00

-21.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,094

$1.76 CA$2.50

38.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,371

$2.10 CA$2.99

45.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,082

$3.46 CA$4.92

-30.35%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,525

$3.08 CA$4.39

10.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,829

$12.38 CA$17.60

-13.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,686

$14.93 CA$21.23

-30.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,282

$19.16 CA$27.24

-26.98%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,356

$5.31 CA$7.55

-1.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡713

$1.16 CA$1.65

37.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,106

$4.90 CA$6.97

-4.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,773

$3.47 CA$4.93

13.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,762

$4.16 CA$5.91

-5.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,654

$2.47 CA$3.51

48.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.46 CA$3.49

-54.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,432

$1.86 CA$2.65

71.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,696

$14.86 CA$21.12

-59.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,783

$10.58 CA$15.04

84.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,265

$2.83 CA$4.03

-0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,613

$3.52 CA$5.01

1.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.43 CA$2.03

-21.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$29.87 CA$42.46

123.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,121

$3.60 CA$5.12

-30.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡734

$1.38 CA$1.96

18.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,817

$24.89 CA$35.38

-65.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.13 CA$1.61

38.05%

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

$22.4K ₡10.1M

$26.2K CA$37.2K

-14.33%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$18.6K CA$26.4K

91.38%

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

$95.2 ₡42.8K

$116 CA$166

-18.24%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$42.93 CA$61.0

-17.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$62.6 CA$89.0

-6.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$51.0 CA$72.6

42.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,406

$11.42 CA$16.24

-33.63%

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

$1,001 ₡449.7K

$1,084 CA$1,541

-7.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$8,273 CA$11.8K

107.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.7K

$51.5 CA$73.2

36.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$40.42 CA$57.5

38.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.3K

$79.3 CA$113

63.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$94.9 CA$135

37.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡416.4K

$1,565 CA$2,225

-40.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.7K

$1,517 CA$2,157

-48.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡883.2K

$3,188 CA$4,532

-38.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡578.4K

$2,719 CA$3,865

-52.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$5,931 CA$8,433

-61.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡822.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡456.4K

$3,077 CA$4,376

-66.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.72

82.63%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Squamish, BC: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Squamish, BC

$1.5K 57.6% 96% $743

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Squamish, BC

$396 15.1% 1.2% $4.6

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Squamish, BC

$259 9.8% 12.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Squamish, BC

$222 8.4% 17.2% $33

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Squamish, BC

$120 4.5% 31.2% $54

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Squamish, BC

$74 2.8% 15.9% $14

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Squamish, BC

$46 1.8% 43.8% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $1,565 in Squamish, BC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 203% higher in Squamish, BC, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose versus $49.00 in Squamish, BC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $396 – making Squamish, BC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Squamish, BC

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

21:16 9:16 PM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

19,512

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Squamish, BC 5,700 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Squamish, BC

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 Squamish, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Squamish, BC is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $3,951 in Squamish, BC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose and $49.00 in Squamish, BC. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,938 in San Jose and $2,634 in Squamish, BC. That's a gap of about 36%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Squamish, BC at $2,634. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Squamish, BC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Squamish, BC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.